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3232George W. Bush, Mitt Romney Won’t Support Trump’s Re-Electionhttps://1buv.com/george-w-bush-mitt-romney-wont-support-trumps-re-election/
https://1buv.com/george-w-bush-mitt-romney-wont-support-trumps-re-election/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 08:00:19 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298531Former President George W. Bush and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) will not support President Donald Trump’s re-election in November, according to a report. The New York Times reports: Former President George W. Bush won’t support the re-election of Mr. Trump, and Jeb Bush isn’t sure how he’ll vote, say people familiar with their thinking. Senator […]

Former President George W. Bush won’t support the re-election of Mr. Trump, and Jeb Bush isn’t sure how he’ll vote, say people familiar with their thinking. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah won’t back Mr. Trump and is deliberating whether to again write in his wife, Ann, or cast another ballot this November. And Cindy McCain, the widow of Senator John McCain, is almost certain to support Mr. Biden but is unsure how public to be about it because one of her sons is eying a run for office.

[…]

Former Republican leaders like the former Speakers Paul D. Ryan and John A. Boehner won’t say how they will vote, and some Republicans who are already disinclined to support Mr. Trump are weighing whether to go beyond backing a third-party contender to openly endorse Mr. Biden.

In a statement to the Texas Tribune, a spokesperson for Bush denied the Times‘ report, saying: “This is completely made up. He is retired from presidential politics and has not indicated how he will vote.”

Bush, who has largely avoided politics since leaving office in 2009, has recently weighed in on the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd — and while neither statement mentioned President Trump by name, they were regarded as veiled swipes at his handling of both matters.

In May, Bush published a video message urging for unity and togetherness amid the outbreak, saying Americans are all God’s children and deserve equal treatment.

“[L]et us remember how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat,” he said. “In the final analysis we are not partisan combatants, we are human beings equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God. We rise or fall together, and we are determined to rise.”

Shortly after, President Trump hit back at Bush with a reminder that the former president failed to defend him during his impeachment trial, saying: “He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history!”

On Tuesday, Bush, along with the former first lady, Laura Bush, said in a statement that they were “anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country.”

“Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures — and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths,” the couple added.

On Monday, former Bush Treasury Department official Karen Kirksey launched a super PAC in support of former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

The group, named 43 Alumni For Biden, lists Kirksey as its custodian of records and group’s treasurer.

Romney was the sole Republican senator to convict President Trump in the upper chamber’s impeachment trial.

]]>https://1buv.com/george-w-bush-mitt-romney-wont-support-trumps-re-election/feed/0‘Party Of Science’ Chooses Feelings Over Facts In Flip-Flop Over Large Gatherings – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/party-of-science-chooses-feelings-over-facts-in-flip-flop-over-large-gatherings-newswars/
https://1buv.com/party-of-science-chooses-feelings-over-facts-in-flip-flop-over-large-gatherings-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:55:50 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298527Democrats – the self-described ‘party of science’ which spent the last three months insisting on perpetual lockdowns until a COVID-19 vaccine is found, is performing mental gymnastics to explain why they aren’t pulling fire alarms over the tightly packed George Floyd protests in Democrat-controlled cities across the country. Rationalizing the flip-flop this week was none […]

Democrats – the self-described ‘party of science’ which spent the last three months insisting on perpetual lockdowns until a COVID-19 vaccine is found, is performing mental gymnastics to explain why they aren’t pulling fire alarms over the tightly packed George Floyd protests in Democrat-controlled cities across the country.

Rationalizing the flip-flop this week was none other than Obama admin CDC Director Tom Frieden, who said in a Tuesday tweet that “The threat to Covid control from protesting outside is tiny compared to the threat to Covid control created when governments act in ways that lose community trust. People can protest peacefully AND work together to stop Covid. Violence harms public health.”

The threat to Covid control from protesting outside is tiny compared to the threat to Covid control created when governments act in ways that lose community trust. People can protest peacefully AND work together to stop Covid. Violence harms public health.

VIDEO. Cadman Plaza is filled with attendees for a George Floyd memorial service. They’ve been chanting and holding signs with simple phrases including Black Lives Matter. Floyd’s brother Terrence is expected to speak. @wcbs880pic.twitter.com/z6u0Ro2lin

“We should always evaluate the risks and benefits of efforts to control the virus. In this moment the public health risks of not protesting to demand an end to systemic racism greatly exceed the harms of the virus,” tweeted Nuzzo.

We should always evaluate the risks and benefits of efforts to control the virus. In this moment the public health risks of not protesting to demand an end to systemic racism greatly exceed the harms of the virus. https://t.co/s9DagyjQ1J

1,200 of the country’s most renowned public health “experts” have signed a letter calling outdoor mass gatherings “vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people.” We are in the midst of a mass psychotic break https://t.co/Ka57iiu4PO

Meanwhile Sweden, which notably banned gatherings above 50 people yet remained otherwise open for business, has suffered coronavirus deaths at nearly four-times per capita of its Nordic neighbors – a decision the country’s top epidemiologist regrets.

]]>https://1buv.com/party-of-science-chooses-feelings-over-facts-in-flip-flop-over-large-gatherings-newswars/feed/0Rationalizing High Valuations Won’t Improve Outcomeshttps://1buv.com/rationalizing-high-valuations-wont-improve-outcomes/
https://1buv.com/rationalizing-high-valuations-wont-improve-outcomes/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:50:07 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298512Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Rationalizing high valuations won’t improve future return outcomes. The reason I say this is because of a tweet from Tom McClellan recently: Fundamentalists are worried about the SP500 at 21x earnings. But that is not the relevant price ratio. This is: pic.twitter.com/D0WZ3llZYF — Tom McClellan (@McClellanOsc) June 2, 2020 […]

While I have an immense amount of respect for Tom, the exercise of manipulating valuation measures can lead to false conclusions. Take the following chart.

The dark blue line is Shiller’s CAPE measure as compared to Tom’s M2 measure and our CT measure. Clearly, both measures show the market is substantially cheaper than Shiller’s smoothed price to earnings model. Moreover, both the M2 and CT measures have a very high correlation of nearly 90%.

Therefore, investors can rationalize that by using either M2 or CT, stocks should have higher return rates in the future.

The problem is that the CT model has nothing to do with asset markets. It’s a measure of “College Tuition” expenditures. So, while there is a spurious correlation to both Shiller’s CAPE and M2, the measure has little to do with forward return expectations or current valuations.

Why is this important?

While valuations can seem passive over short periods of time, and they are indeed horrible market timing measures, they have everything to do with future outcomes.

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett.

Measuring Valuations The Correct Way

When discussing valuations it is important to maintain a proper perspective. Valuations are NOT a market timing device to tell you to buy or sell stocks. What valuations do provide is a framework for understanding forward returns over long periods of time.

Despite the markets outperformance over the last 10-years, such was due to the unprecedented monetary interventions by the Federal Reserve. Regardless, markets have a strong tendency to revert to their average performance over time, which is not nearly as much fun as it sounds.

As investors, our job is not only to invest for today but to understand the potential of long-term impacts.

When considering stock valuations, one should only use the past 12-months of reported earnings, known as GAAP earnings, which includes “all of the bad stuff.” The reason is that all analysis uses trailing GAAP earnings as the denominator. These are “known” earnings and makes valuation analysis more reliable.

Conversely, Wall Street analysts use operating earnings, or “earnings without all that bad stuff,” to deflate multiples using forward “guesses.”This method provides the rationalization for overpaying for assets during periods of excess valuations.

Importantly, using operating earnings also provides a faulty comparison between valuation models which are largely based on “known” trailing earnings.

However, this is where we must make an important distinction.

Starting Valuations Matter Most

When discussing valuations, the starting level when you begin your investment journey is the most critical. Such was a point discussed previously:

“The chart below shows the history of secular bull market periods going back to 1871 using data from Dr. Robert Shiller. You will notice that secular bull markets tend to begin with CAPE 10 valuations around 10x earnings or even less. They tend to end around 23-25x earnings or higher. (Over the long-term valuations do matter.) “

The two previous 20-year secular bull markets begin with valuations in single digits. At the end of the first decade of those secular advances, valuations were still trading below 20x. Currently, valuations are still hovering near 30x.

But that is just today. Over the next couple of quarters, the “E” is will drop markedly as the impact of the economic shutdown settles in. While it is hoped there will only be a mild-reduction in earnings, historically, they have reverted past the long-term exponential trend.

Given 13% unemployment rates and a recession of nearly 20%, earnings will likely revert toward $60/share. Such a decline will push current valuations to historically high levels assuming prices remain elevated.

The 1920-1929 secular advance most closely mimics the current 2010 cycle. While valuations started below 5x earnings in 1919, they eclipsed 30x earnings ten-years later in 1929. The rest, as they say, is history. Or rather, maybe “past is prologue” is more fitting.

High Valuations & Low Returns

Another confusion when discussing future low rates of returns is misunderstanding each year will be a low return. That assumption is incorrect. What high valuations tend to dictate is the return for the entire period will be low.

The chart below shows 10-year rolling REAL, inflation-adjusted returns in the markets. (Note: Spikes in 10-year returns, which occurred because the 50% decline in 2008 dropped out of the equation, has previously denoted peaks in forward annual returns.)

(Important note: Many advisers/analysts often pen that the market has never had a 10 or 20-year negative return. That is only on a nominal basis. Inflation must be included in the debate.)

Even on a 30-year rolling return basis, high “starting valuations” suggest lower than expected rates of returns in the future.

There are two crucial points to take away from the data.

There are several periods throughout history where market returns were not only low but negative. (Given that most people only have 20-30 functional years to save for retirement, a 20-year low return period can devastate those plans.)

“Importantly, it is worth noting that negative returns tend to cluster during periods of declining valuations. These ‘clusters’ of negative returns are what define ‘secular bear markets.’”

The Mistake Investors Make

The mistake investors repeatedly make is dismissing the data in the short-term because there is no immediate impact on price returns. As noted above, valuations by their very nature are HORRIBLE predictors of 12-month returns. Investors avoid any investment strategy which has such a focus. In the longer term, however, valuations are strong predictors of expected returns.

It isn’t just trailing valuations suggesting markets are overpriced and expensive. The chart below shows Dr. Robert Shiller’s cyclically adjusted P/E ratio compared with Tobin’s Q-ratio. The Q-ratio measures the “replacement cost” for the firms assets in the broad Wilshire 5000 index. (This measure has nothing to do with earnings.)

Unsurprisingly, Tobin’s Q is also at historically expensive valuations hitting the highest level since the peak in 2000. Furthermore, note forward 10-year returns do NOT improve from historically expensive levels, but decline sharply.

Warren Buffett’s favorite valuation measure also supports current valuation concerns (which may explain why he is sitting on $137 billion in cash.). The following measure is the price of the Wilshire 5000 market capitalization level divided by GDP. Given the stock market is not the economy, asset prices should reflect underlying economic growth rather than the “irrational exuberance” of investors.

(The analysis below includes the latest Atlanta Fed estimate for Q2-2020 GDP)

Lastly, one figure that is hard to fudge or manipulate is sales. Such is where corporations derive earnings and profitability. Given the coming drop in sales over the two quarters, the price-to-sales ratio will surge to historic heights. Like valuations, overpaying for revenue tends to have less desirable outcomes.

No matter how you analyze the data, the potential future outcomes for investors is likely to be less desirable than many hope.

Bull Now, Pay Later

In the short-term, the bull market continues as the flood of liquidity, and accommodative actions, from global Central Banks, has lulled investors into a state of complacency rarely seen historically. As Richard Thaler, the famous University of Chicago professor who won the Nobel Prize in economics once stated:

“We seem to be living in the riskiest moment of our lives, and yet the stock market seems to be napping. I admit to not understanding it. Nothing seems to spook the market.”

While market analysts continue to come up with a variety of rationalizations to justify high valuations, none of them hold up under real scrutiny. The problem is while Central Bank interventions boost asset prices in the short-term, over the long-term there is an inherently negative impact on economic growth. As such, it leads to the repetitive cycle of monetary policy.

“Through the end of the Q1-2020, the stock market has returned almost 127.79% from the 2007 peak using quarterly data. Such is more than 3x the growth in GDP and 6.5x the increase in corporate revenue. (I have used SALES growth in the chart below as it is what happens at the top line of income statements and is not AS subject to manipulation.) “

“Our goal is to win a war, and we may need to lose a few battles in the interim.

Yes, we want to make money, but it is even more important not to lose it. If the market continues to mount even higher, we will likely lag. The stocks we own will become fully valued, and we’ll sell them. If our cash balances continue to rise, then they will. We are not going to sacrifice our standards and thus let our portfolio be a byproduct of forced or irrational decisions.

We are willing to lose a few battles, but those losses will be necessary to win the war. Timing the market is an impossible endeavor. We don’t know anyone who has done it successfully on a consistent and repeated basis. In the short run, stock market movements are completely random – as random as you’re trying to guess the next card at the blackjack table.”

Rationalizing high valuations today will likely lead to ultimately “losing the war.”

]]>https://1buv.com/rationalizing-high-valuations-wont-improve-outcomes/feed/0Evacuations underway as firefighters battle massive wildfire in California (PHOTOS/VIDEOS) — RT USA Newshttps://1buv.com/evacuations-underway-as-firefighters-battle-massive-wildfire-in-california-photos-videos-rt-usa-news/
https://1buv.com/evacuations-underway-as-firefighters-battle-massive-wildfire-in-california-photos-videos-rt-usa-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:45:30 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298508Residents in Solano County, California have been ordered to flee their homes after a large vegetation fire broke out just miles from two cities. Firefighters are using aerial retardants to protect neighborhoods. The blaze broke out Saturday near the cities of Winters and Vacaville, and quickly doubled in size to 1,200 acres, authorities told local […]

Residents in Solano County, California have been ordered to flee their homes after a large vegetation fire broke out just miles from two cities. Firefighters are using aerial retardants to protect neighborhoods.

The blaze broke out Saturday near the cities of Winters and Vacaville, and quickly doubled in size to 1,200 acres, authorities told local media. Officials said the fire has been five percent contained.

Those living in the fire’s direct path have been ordered to evacuate to a center in Vacaville. Firefighter units have deployed planes to drop aerial retardants in an effort to protect residential areas.

We continue to monitor a fire that’s spreading near Quail Canyon Road & Pleasants Valley in Solano County. At last check, the #QuailFire has burned 1200 acres and is 5 percent contained, according to CAL Fire. Evacuations are also underway. Tune in at 10 for a live report @FOX40pic.twitter.com/BnYeI6IC3f

]]>https://1buv.com/evacuations-underway-as-firefighters-battle-massive-wildfire-in-california-photos-videos-rt-usa-news/feed/0Health agencies continue epidemic denial – NaturalNews.comhttps://1buv.com/health-agencies-continue-epidemic-denial-naturalnews-com/
https://1buv.com/health-agencies-continue-epidemic-denial-naturalnews-com/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:42:28 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298501(Natural News) Despite ongoing increases in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has consistently failed to declare ASD an epidemic. This public messaging decision highlights the CDC’s ongoing disregard for prevalence increases over time that support the overriding importance of environmental causes rather […]

(Natural News)
Despite ongoing increases in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has consistently failed to declare ASD an epidemic. This public messaging decision highlights the CDC’s ongoing disregard for prevalence increases over time that support the overriding importance of environmental causes rather than genetics causality in this serious childhood health condition. According to the most recent 2018 survey from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), 1 in 35 American children ages 3-17 have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), over 1.7 million children.

Using a different method, the recently released CDC report from its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, reported an average ASD rate of 185 per 10,000 among 8-year-old children born in 2008, or 1 in 54. The CDC proudly promotes ADDM as the only collaborative network to track the number and characteristics of children with ASD. This new rate represents a 9% increase over the 2014 ADDM Network report, which reported a rate of 1 in 59.

Comparing recent ADDM Network ASD rates to those first reported by the network in 2000, there is a staggering 176% increase when compared the earliest ASD report rate of 1 in 149 among 8-year-old children in 2000. Changes by year and site are shown in Figure 1.

Where is the urgency?

The only acknowledgment of urgency in the 2014 ADDM report is a sentence buried deep in the text stating that autism was “an urgent public health concern.” In the most recent ADDM 2016 report, an autism rate of 1 in 54 is merely “a continuing public health concern” as shown in Figure 2. Instead of raising the alarm over their unbending upward trend line, the CDC reserves its main concerns for racial equality: applauding the fact that autism in African Americans is now broadly similar to that of white and Asian Americans. Using the ADDM Network methodology, ASD cases are identified through a review and abstraction of records followed by experienced clinicians who systematically review information to determine ASD case status. The CDC claims its methodological approach provides the “best possible estimate currently available of prevalence of ASDs without conducting complete population screening and diagnostic clinical case confirmation.” If the CDC believes ASD rate increases over time are the result of racial inequities, why haven’t they recommended population screening and diagnostic case confirmation in underserved populations to obtain more accurate statistics?

What happened in Utah?

The ADDM Network has no evidence of overall flattening or declining ASD rates. There are, however, anomalies in the data reported from a number of sites, including, most notably, Utah and Maryland. Maryland’s ascertainment areas changed with the inclusion of a second site with reduced access to school records. In Utah’s case, (Figure 3) as one of us has pointed out in her 2013 complaint, intentional deviations from the ADDM Network methodological procedures were allowed and covered up by the ADDM Network and University of Utah (U of U).

Sounding the alarm

The two of us share a longstanding concern over the CDC’s failure to sound the alarm with respect to the sharp and ongoing increases in autism rates. One of us has been critical of CDC’s fraudulent misuse of statistics for nearly two decades. Another of us, was once a CDC insider and Principal Investigator for the Utah ADDM site, Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. After beginning to raise concerns over environmental causation, data errors and privacy violations in the Utah autism data one of us (Zimmerman) was summarily dismissed from her position. She has since filed a series of successful lawsuits against her former employer the U of U.

In addition, Zimmerman became so concerned about intentional data manipulation and public messaging by ADDM officials, she asked two United States Congressmen, Utah Democrat Ben McAdams and Florida Republican Bill Posey, to support a congressional investigation into research fraud by the ADDM Network and U of U. Zimmerman was the original CDC grant awardee and the Utah ADDM principle investigator from 2002-2013. She believes she now has enough evidence to show serious violations of federal health and education privacy laws and intentional deviations from predetermined ADDM study protocols by U of U with the complicity of ADDM Network Officials.

Utah’s 2008 autism rate was 1 in 47 among 8-year-old children with trend increases closely tracking the ADDM Network’s consistently highest rates in New Jersey. That close tracking abruptly changed, as shown in Figure 3, after Zimmerman was removed as the Utah ADDM principle investigator for study year 2010 and prevented from correcting massive data errors and omissions. Zimmerman was removed by the then U of U Psychiatry Chairman, Dr. William McMahon, after Zimmerman reported Dr. McMahon along with two others, Drs. Deborah Bilder and Amanda Bakian, for research fraud. Fortunately, in 2018, jurors in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City ruled in favor of Zimmerman’s claims that the U of U had violated her legal whistleblower protections. Zimmerman has a related lawsuit against the U of U in state court. She plans to release more documentation to support her claims of research fraud as documents are made publicly available through the courts. Zimmerman hopes researchers involved in privacy violations and deviations from study protocols at the CDC and U of U will be held accountable.

Correcting the data errors and stringently following study protocols would have resulted in higher autism rates supportive of declaring an autism epidemic, a declaration the CDC has never been willing to make…

Turning a blind eye

It is still unclear why CDC ADDM officials turned a blind eye to Zimmerman’s whistleblower claims. However, two obvious answers come to mind.

First, privacy laws can be complicated and time consuming to follow, making it costly to obtain informed consent. However, what is clear is that in the world of big research and big business, big data equals big money and big power. There are strong financial motivations to gain access to identifiable autism data that would not be available to researchers if federal privacy laws are followed.

Second, deviations from predetermined ADDM study protocols led to erroneous reports of declining Utah autism rates. Correcting the data errors and stringently following study protocols would have resulted in higher autism rates supportive of declaring an autism epidemic, a declaration the CDC has never been willing to make, and which goes against their historical messaging. A declaration that there is an autism epidemic would support environmental causality, a possibility that the CDC has repeatedly downplayed.

The two of us are hopeful Congressmen McAdams and Posey will attempt to get answers from the CDC about research fraud by the ADDM Network officials. McAdams is Zimmerman’s current congressional representative. He is well-known for his honesty, compassion, and for bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get things done. He has a law degree from Columbia Law School and as such likely understands the complexity of federal privacy violations Zimmerman has documented and reported. Like Congressman Posey, McAdams currently serves on the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, an important committee to address issues of fraud related to scientific studies and findings.

Posey is already well-known in national autism circles for bringing to light another whistleblower’s claims of fraud and data manipulation by the CDC. Posey previously received extensive documentation about research fraud at the CDC from Dr. William Thompson, a Senior Scientist at the CDC. Claims of research fraud at the CDC by Drs. Thompson and Zimmerman have some striking similarities. Both Thompson and Zimmerman reported deviations from predetermined CDC study protocols on key autism studies. Both Thompson and Zimmerman reported omission of statistically significant data. Both Thompson and Zimmerman reported that the CDC went to great lengths to cover up research data manipulation.

Declaring autism an epidemic is long overdue. The public and most importantly the parents and families impacted by autism deserve better. Accurate information is needed to answer important and glaring questions about etiological factors and planning for services. Researchers and public health officials who blatantly manipulate data and fail to follow federal privacy laws need to be held accountable. Congress should conduct a thorough and independent investigation of autism research fraud at the CDC and specifically within the ADDM Network.

]]>https://1buv.com/health-agencies-continue-epidemic-denial-naturalnews-com/feed/0Russian Emergencies Ministry Says Up to Country’s Leadership to Decide on Foreign Help in Fuel Spillhttps://1buv.com/russian-emergencies-ministry-says-up-to-countrys-leadership-to-decide-on-foreign-help-in-fuel-spill/
https://1buv.com/russian-emergencies-ministry-says-up-to-countrys-leadership-to-decide-on-foreign-help-in-fuel-spill/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:35:51 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298496Russia 07:29 GMT 07.06.2020Get short URL https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107954/45/1079544502_0:68:1920:1148_1200x675_80_0_0_1abd2dc95d00df18932a0c4a82373297.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202006071079544538-russian-emergencies-ministry-says-up-to-countrys-leadership-to-decide-on-foreign-help-in-fuel-spill/ KRASNOYARSK, Russia (Sputnik) – The Russian Emergencies Ministry has enough forces to effectively cope with the diesel fuel spill in Norilsk and it is up to Russia’s leadership to decide on whether to receive foreign assistance in dealing with the emergency, Alexander […]

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (Sputnik) – The Russian Emergencies Ministry has enough forces to effectively cope with the diesel fuel spill in Norilsk and it is up to Russia’s leadership to decide on whether to receive foreign assistance in dealing with the emergency, Alexander Chupriyan, Russia’s first deputy emergencies minister, said on Sunday.

“Thank you very much to all countries that want to help us. The political leadership of the country will determine whether it is necessary or not. As of now, there are enough forces and means for their prompt and effective use in emergency response,” Chupriyan said.

According to the official, a group of about 500 people and 200 pieces of equipment have been involved in the liquidation of the consequences of the fuel spill.

A state of emergency was declared in Norilsk after some 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked out of a fuel tank at the Norilsk – Taimyr Energy Company’s Thermal Power Plant No. 3 and seeped into a nearby river.

]]>https://1buv.com/russian-emergencies-ministry-says-up-to-countrys-leadership-to-decide-on-foreign-help-in-fuel-spill/feed/0Mark Esper Showed a Little Spine After Monday, So We Know His Days Are Numberedhttps://1buv.com/mark-esper-showed-a-little-spine-after-monday-so-we-know-his-days-are-numbered/
https://1buv.com/mark-esper-showed-a-little-spine-after-monday-so-we-know-his-days-are-numbered/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:28:06 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298493Secretary of Defense Mark Esper did the wrong thing before, days later, he did the right thing. Walking across Lafayette Park cleared by pepper gas and something called pepper-ball projectiles by troops on the order of the Attorney General William Barr, he was summoned to stand with the president, who was giving stage directions for […]

Esper was not innocent, but he did look flummoxed when Donald Trump pulled a Bible out of Ivanka’s purse and then didn’t read so much as a comforting passage. Five years ago, he famously remarked of the book, Old and New Testament, that they’re “equal” and “incredible” and he couldn’t possibly single out a verse. “I joke, very much so. They always hold up The Art of the Deal and I say my second favorite book of all time.”

Of all the jokes Trump has gotten off, Monday’s march to St. John’s church that he’d visited one time in three years was the biggest. A day later, Esper tried to photo-shop himself out of what went down. He contradicted the president and said that the protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd did not merit calling up the military under the Insurrection Act. The military would not take up arms against its own citizens. He ordered them home.

Esper is not a profile in courage, except in comparison to Barr. And Esper’s not one to take a knee or speak eloquently or say very much at all. But in the middle of his drama, former Gen. James Mattis, who’d been to hell and back with the president but held his fire for years, unloaded a fusillade, denouncing the president as a threat to the Constitution who was determined to divide the country. Generals don’t talk that way to the commander-in-chief without cause.

Mattis has Esper’s back, as does Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s highest-ranking military officer in the armed forces. He found his spine this week, having lost it when he not only supported the president’s illegal use of power but dressed the part at Monday night’s parish hall putsch. Esper’s the boss.

Did he know Milley would show up for the parade in full combat gear as if he were playing himself in a movie? In a letter, Milley wrote that the National Guard would operate under the authority of state governors, not the president’s, and he scribbled at the bottom: “We all committed our lives to the idea that is America—we will stay true to that oath.”

Within hours, Trump was trolling Mattis, claiming he gave Mad Dog his nickname (lie) and fired him (lie again). Those lies roused yet another general, former Chief of Staff John Kelly, who corrected everything Trump said speculating he must be “confused.”

But then Esper made a partial retreat, retracting the order for the troops to leave, although not taking back the critical decision not to use them. For a White House high-fiving over the performance, it was a bridge too far to have Esper hit them with another bad headline questioning Trump’s militarization. And this is where Esper stepped up and did the right thing. After an angry conversation with Trump, Esper gave the order for the 82nd Airborne to withdraw from the Capitol and return to Fort Bragg.

The whole illegal mobilization was undertaken because the president lost a news cycle, and when Ivanka and Jared agree with Dad on the way to win the next one, no one can stop the train rolling down the track. The stunt at the church got Trump out of the bunker he insisted he was only inspecting, with Melania and Barron along for the ride. The White House wasn’t going to let some little Cabinet secretary send them back underground.

It’s hard to know where this puts Esper in the Trump firmament. Is he dead to them, as aides are leaking? Is he Mick Mulvaney, who never recovered from coughing out of turn or repeating the president’s “get over it” about mingling foreign policy with politics, but hung around until he could quietly be dispatched to Northern Ireland? Or will he be simply downsized, subservient to Barr in a power grab over the military, some of whom are black ops, with no insignia or badges or ID? Barr has been overseeing troop movements from a bunker of his own near the FBI in Chinatown. He’s put up more fence around Washington than on the border with Mexico.

Whatever happens, Esper is an anomaly. Up to now, you have to be a retired or late career journalist like George Will, who wrote a stunning op-ed about the protests this week, or a defeated or retiring politician, like Jeff Flake, to tell the truth about Trump.

“We’ll see whether Esper will be more like Sessions and hang in despite the humiliation or Gary Cohen take a powder after Charlottesville. ”

There was the slightest movement in some quarters. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday she’s struggling with her support of Trump but won’t say more because she doesn’t want to be a distraction. We don’t mind waiting. Others are neither seeing nor hearing evil. About 10 GOP senators were caught on camera speeding from a hobble to a cantor into their weekly caucus as if there might not be enough sandwiches to go around. By contrast, the younger, ambitious cattle flaunt that they’re staying in the corral. Sen. Tom Cotton wrote an op-ed in The New York Times with the unambiguous headline, “Send in the Troops,” prompting black staffers at the paper to revolt.

The wily Barr held his own press conference at week’s end to counterprogram George Floyd’s memorial and to compromise FBI Director Chris Wray, who sometimes breaks out of the corral to buck the White House. He played good Robin to Barr’s bad Batman, and they found an African American running the U.S. Marshall service for diversity. To Barr, every protestor, whether singing “Lean on Me” or lying prone for the length of time it took to kill George Floyd or holding hands with a policeman, is a looter and should be shot—okay then, certainly gassed. Trump’s advice to the police applies to Barr’s battalions: “don’t be so nice to them.”

We’ll see whether Esper will be more like Sessions and hang in despite the humiliation or like Gary Cohn, who almost took a powder after Charlottesville. Esper’s situation is the opposite of those who held onto power for status and money after they knew they were doing the devil’s work. His replacement would definitely be worse. The president doesn’t attract the best people or want them. He seeks out the worst. Look at who he’s purged and look at just his latest appointment. Caught in a lie and withdrawn, John Ratcliffe’s name was resubmitted. He now endangers us as director of National Intelligence.

As he tiptoed through the minefield, Esper was a man in the last stages of Twister, trying to reconcile the constitution with Trump’s anarchy, admit a mistake, declare some independence but not too much, and rescue his reputation. At the end, he stood straight and tall.

Esper must know that Trump and Barr are rehearsing for the revolution with their discrediting of the election in case it doesn’t go their way. “Cops for Trump” aren’t going to be enough. Trump will need the military. Esper has to draw a red line now.

Trump brags that his shows get better ratings than blockbusters like the finale of The Bachelor, one of his few accurate boasts. Whatever Nielsen says about the show at the church on Monday, it bombed. Rush Limbaugh talked to Charlamagne tha God about the dire need for law and order but that doesn’t seem to have swung public sentiment. The country is coming down on the side of the Constitution. For now, so is Esper.

]]>https://1buv.com/mark-esper-showed-a-little-spine-after-monday-so-we-know-his-days-are-numbered/feed/0Vulgar Chicago Mayor Who Told President Trump to “F-U” Now Wants to Fire Cop Who Flipped Off Protestershttps://1buv.com/vulgar-chicago-mayor-who-told-president-trump-to-f-u-now-wants-to-fire-cop-who-flipped-off-protesters/
https://1buv.com/vulgar-chicago-mayor-who-told-president-trump-to-f-u-now-wants-to-fire-cop-who-flipped-off-protesters/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:20:51 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298490Last week far left Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during a press conference said she has two words for President Trump: “F— you.” “I will encode what I really want to say to Donald Trump,” Lightfoot said. “It’s two words: It begins with F and it ends with U.” WATCH: For those looking for the clip […]

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently made a disgusting remark about President Trump (see below) during a statement, and now she’d like to fire a Chicago police officer who was caught on video sending the same sentiment by flipping off protesters in Lincoln Park:

“We’ll find that person and, in my view, that person needs to be immediately stripped of their police powers and start the process for firing them. We will not tolerate that kind of abusive, offensive conduct on the part of police officers. Period.”

]]>https://1buv.com/vulgar-chicago-mayor-who-told-president-trump-to-f-u-now-wants-to-fire-cop-who-flipped-off-protesters/feed/0Let the Book Burning Begin! NPR Pushes ‘Decolonizing’ Book Shelveshttps://1buv.com/let-the-book-burning-begin-npr-pushes-decolonizing-book-shelves/
https://1buv.com/let-the-book-burning-begin-npr-pushes-decolonizing-book-shelves/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:07:45 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298487National Public Radio (NPR) posted a tweet Saturday urging every reader to begin “decolonizing your bookshelf.” According to NPR, “white voices have dominated what has been considered canon for eons.” The public broadcaster advises fans to begin “decolonizing your bookshelf” by removing the works of white authors. NPR tweeted: In essence, “decolonizing your bookshelf” is […]

National Public Radio (NPR) posted a tweet Saturday urging every reader to begin “decolonizing your bookshelf.”

According to NPR, “white voices have dominated what has been considered canon for eons.” The public broadcaster advises fans to begin “decolonizing your bookshelf” by removing the works of white authors.

NPR tweeted:

In essence, “decolonizing your bookshelf” is about actively resisting and casting aside the colonialist ideas of narrative, storytelling, and literature that have pervaded the American psyche for so long, says @itsjuanlove. https://t.co/pbSBx8Z4So

NPR suggests that “decolonizing your bookshelf” is about “about actively resisting and casting aside the colonialist ideas of narrative, storytelling, and literature that have pervaded the American psyche for so long.”

They posit:

If you are white, take a moment to examine your bookshelf. What do you see? What books and authors have you allowed to influence your worldview, and how you process the issues of racism and prejudice toward the disenfranchised? Have you considered that, if you identify as white and read only the work of white authors, you are in some ways listening to an extension of your own voice on repeat? While the details and depth of experience may differ, white voices have dominated what has been considered canon for eons.

On April 14, 2017, the Daily Beast referred to book burning as “perhaps the oldest form of censorship.”

The Daily Beast notes that “the Babylonians and their allies burned the library of the scholar King Ashurbanipal in 612 BC when they sacked the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.” They trace burnings into the 20th century: “On May 10, 1933, Nazi youth groups burned some 25,000 “degenerate” books at a large bonfire in Berlin, with radio broadcasts to publicize the event to those who could not attend in person. Books by such authors as Albert Einstein, Bertolt Brecht, Helen Keller, Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann, Karl Marx, Ernest Hemingway, and H.G. Wells were tossed on the flaming heap.”

]]>https://1buv.com/let-the-book-burning-begin-npr-pushes-decolonizing-book-shelves/feed/0Only In Texas: Man Arrested For Dispersing Protesters With A Chainsawhttps://1buv.com/only-in-texas-man-arrested-for-dispersing-protesters-with-a-chainsaw/
https://1buv.com/only-in-texas-man-arrested-for-dispersing-protesters-with-a-chainsaw/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 07:00:21 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298483A viral – and very bizarre – video emerged Friday showing mayhem unfolding in the usually quiet small southern Texas town of McAllen. A group of Black Lives Matter protesters were seen outside local businesses in the downtown area when a man wielding a chainsaw approaches the group ordering them to “Move! Go home!” “Don’t let those f**king trash Antifa […]

A viral – and very bizarre – video emerged Friday showing mayhem unfolding in the usually quiet small southern Texas town of McAllen.

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters were seen outside local businesses in the downtown area when a man wielding a chainsaw approaches the group ordering them to “Move! Go home!”

“Don’t let those f**king trash Antifa b***h people lie to you,” the man yelled while revving the chainsaw and tearing up protest signs. He’s heard shouting racial obscenities while charging protesters. Needless to say the sidewalk was promptly cleared as about a dozen people fled, while others yelled “Call 911!”

Per a local NBC affiliate, police said overall the assembly was peaceful, with the exception of the chainsaw incident, and detailed further:

The incident happened on Main Street in downtown McAllen around 2 p.m.

According to Lt. Joel Morales, the man is in custody and charges are currently pending.

Morales had previously confirmed that an assault investigation was underway related to the man.

After last weekend and in the past days riots, looting, and clashes with police engulfed a number of US cities – though the intensity of the violence in the last two days seems to have waned – there’s been increasing instances of armed ‘counter-protesters’ showing up at George Floyd rallies in order to ‘protect’ businesses and residences.

The trend could eventually result in direct violent clashes between right wing groups and far-left Antifa members.

As for the attacker seen in the McAllen video, he doesn’t appear to have a very high view of the 1st amendment.

But we should also note it appears the generally ‘anti-cop’ BLM protesters suddenly appear very grateful to have had the police show up in this instance.

Democrat legislators are under increasing pressure from their base of far-left groups of college graduates to shrink police powers, despite the huge toll that urban crime inflicts on working-class people who live in urban districts.

The renamed section of the street is part of 16th Street, which leads directly to Lafayette Park, adjacent to the White House.

Some Democrats are resisting the political pressure, largely because they know that any policy to defund police would prompt a police walkout, repeated looting, business shutdowns, and a massive loss of tax revenues.

The Democrats’ lax policy on crime in the 1970s caused huge spikes in murder and theft. The resulting public backlash allowed Ronald Reagan, the former governor of California, to win the presidency in 1980.

]]>https://1buv.com/defund-the-police-painted-on-street-leading-to-white-house/feed/0Entire Buffalo Police Unit Resigns In Solidarity With Officers Suspended For Shoving Elderly Protester – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/entire-buffalo-police-unit-resigns-in-solidarity-with-officers-suspended-for-shoving-elderly-protester-newswars/
https://1buv.com/entire-buffalo-police-unit-resigns-in-solidarity-with-officers-suspended-for-shoving-elderly-protester-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:40:28 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298477Update (1630ET): The Buffalo police union president has reportedly sent an email following the suspension without pay of two Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers who were caught on camera pushing a 75-year-old protester onto the sidewalk, causing him to bleed from the head. “After witnessing first hand how these 2 officers were treated. I can […]

Update (1630ET): The Buffalo police union president has reportedly sent an email following the suspension without pay of two Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers who were caught on camera pushing a 75-year-old protester onto the sidewalk, causing him to bleed from the head.

“After witnessing first hand how these 2 officers were treated. I can tell you, they tried to fuck over these guys like I have never seen in my 54 years. It is despicable to say the least the treatment they have received from this Administration as well as DA John Flynn and his ADA Gary Hackbush,” reads an email allegedly sent by PBA President John Evans.

Evans goes on to say that the police union won’t pay for legal costs of officers related to protests, as it could put a “serious dent in the PBA’s funds. OVER BULLSHIT!”

BREAKING: Buffalo police union president reportedly says the suspension of 2 cops for shoving an elderly man was “disposable.” He goes on to say the union shouldn’t pay for the officers’ defense because it could the District Attorney could put a “serious dent in the PBA’s funds.” https://t.co/D2TaeIORIg

Meanwhile, the entire police unit in Buffalo that responds to protests resigned Friday in solidarity with the two officers, The Buffalo News reported.

”Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square,” the paper quoted Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans as saying.

“If they resigned, I’m exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night,” Poloncarz said after being asked about the ERT Team resigning. pic.twitter.com/gbQ4Z7vKr5

The officers did not quit the force but only resigned from the unit responding to protest and civil unrest, the paper reported.

* * *

The Buffalo, New York Police Department has suspended two officers without pay and launched an Internal Affairs investigation after a viral video showed the cops shoving a 75-year-old protester onto a concrete sidewalk as police cleared Niagra Square during enforcement of a citywide curfew.

The man can be seen bleeding from the head following the incident.

According to the Buffalo News, the incident occurred several hours after a standoff between police in riot gear and protesters, who where blocking the street in front of City Hall.

Two members of @BPDAlerts push him – one of them gives up a name slowing down the 1080p version on YouTube

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown – who told protesters in Niagra Square on Thursday that he will formally outlaw the use of choke holds on suspects by the Buffalo PD – said that the man was “knocked down” by officers.

A 7 Eyewitness News reporter captured video showing the aftermath of the incident. Protesters can be heard reacting to the man’s fall. The man is now in stable but serious condition at Erie County Medical Center.

7 Eyewitness News has learned Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood has ordered the suspension of the officers involved in the incident. –WKBW

Mayor Brown issued the following statement shortly after 11 p.m.:

Tonight, after a physical altercation between two separate groups of protesters participating in an illegal demonstration beyond the curfew, two Buffalo Police officers knocked down a 75-year-old man. The victim is in stable but serious condition at ECMC. I was deeply disturbed by the video, as was Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood. He directed an immediate investigation into the matter, and the two officers have been suspended without pay. After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, Police leadership and members of the community, tonight’s event is disheartening. I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo. My thoughts are with the victim tonight.

The New York ACLU also weighed in, saying in a statment “The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable. Suspensions and an investigation are already in order, but there is little more we have to see to know what took place.”

Police officers cannot continue to hide behind the lie that they are protecting and serving.

]]>https://1buv.com/entire-buffalo-police-unit-resigns-in-solidarity-with-officers-suspended-for-shoving-elderly-protester-newswars/feed/0Free The Liquor Stores! | Zero Hedgehttps://1buv.com/free-the-liquor-stores-zero-hedge/
https://1buv.com/free-the-liquor-stores-zero-hedge/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:35:13 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298472Authored by Laurence Vance via The Future of Freedom Foundation, The Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores are slowly beginning to reopen in Pennsylvania after they were all closed on March 17 in response to the spread of the coronavirus. During the time when the liquor stores in Pennsylvania were all closed, Pennsylvania residents flocked to […]

The Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores are slowly beginning to reopen in Pennsylvania after they were all closed on March 17 in response to the spread of the coronavirus.

During the time when the liquor stores in Pennsylvania were all closed, Pennsylvania residents flocked to liquor stores in other states such as New Jersey, West Virginia, and Ohio.

In April, Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, signed an executive order “requiring six Ohio counties near the Pennsylvania border to require proof of local residency for the purchase of alcohol.” Said the governor, “This is necessary because of repeated instances of persons from Pennsylvania coming into these counties for the sole or main purpose of purchasing liquor. Any other time, we’d love to have visitors from Pennsylvania, but right now this creates an unacceptable public health issue.”

When the Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores closed, why couldn’t residents of Pennsylvania just go to another liquor store in Pennsylvania instead of having to drive to another state? Because the Fine Wine & Good Spirits liquor stores are the only liquor stores in Pennsylvania. They are government liquor stores. No private liquor stores are allowed to exist.

Pennsylvania is one of seventeen “alcoholic beverage control” states where the state government controls the wholesaling, and often the retailing, of distilled spirits, and in some cases, beer and wine.

The other states are: Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. There are also jurisdictions in Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota, and South Dakota that control the sale of alcoholic beverages.

According to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) — the national association representing jurisdictions that directly control the distribution and sale of beverage alcohol within their borders — “control jurisdictions represent approximately 24.8% of the nation’s population and account for roughly 23% of distilled spirit sales and a significantly smaller percentage of beer and wine sales.” The mission of the NABCA is “to support member jurisdictions in their efforts to protect public health and safety and ensure responsible and efficient systems for beverage alcohol distribution and sales.”

In 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment repealed the Eighteenth Amendment that had, since 1920, prohibited the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” However, some states, such as Pennsylvania, instead of allowing liquor freedom, chose to institute liquor socialism and monopolize the retail sale of hard liquor.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) “was created by state law on Nov. 29, 1933, at the end of Prohibition.” “The agency is governed by a three-member Board whose members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by two-thirds of the state Senate.”

The mission of the PLCB

is to responsibly sell wine and spirits as a retailer and wholesaler, regulate Pennsylvania’s alcohol industry, promote alcohol education and social responsibility and maximize financial returns for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians. The PLCB regulates the manufacture, importation, sale, distribution and disposition of liquor, alcohol, and malt or brewed beverages in the commonwealth. The agency issues licenses to private individuals or entities that wish to engage in wholesale operations of beer, either as an importing distributor or as a distributor. The agency is also responsible for wholesale distribution of wine and spirits, which licensees may pick up from state-operated Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores or licensee service centers or have delivered from PLCB distribution centers.

The PLCB operates “more than 600 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores across Pennsylvania, including more than 90 Premium Collection stores and an e-commerce retail website.” Since 1987, Pennsylvania’s liquor code has been enforced by the Pennsylvania State Police.

But the PLCB is not the only way that alcoholic beverages are restricted in Pennsylvania. The state also allows voters in each municipality to limit certain alcohol sales or ban the sale of alcohol altogether. According to the PLCB, “681 of 2,560 Pennsylvania municipalities are at least partially dry.” According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Code, “a local option referendum to change what alcohol sales a municipality allows or prohibits may be voted on during any election.” Thirty-two other states also allow localities to prohibit the sale of liquor. Pennsylvania is different from most states with a local option in that it applies to municipalities and not to counties.

Why?

Why is alcohol treated differently than any other commodity? Why are alcohol sales restricted in some way in most states on Sundays? Why is the drinking age 21, when Americans are considered legal adults at age 18? Why do some states make a distinction between alcohol consumed on-premises and alcohol purchased for consumption off-premises? Why are alcoholic beverages heavily taxed? Why in Louisiana is the sale of alcoholic beverages of any kind permitted in supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, and convenience stores, but in other states grocery stores can sell distilled spirits only in a separate store or in an attached location that has its own entrance?

Free the liquor stores.

Free the liquor stores to sell what products they want, what days of the week they want, what hours they want, and to whom they want. Free the liquor stores from government regulation, oversight, licensing, and control. Free the liquor stores from government ownership. Free the liquor stores from local options that can institute dry counties or municipalities. Free the liquor stores from modern-day prohibitionists. Free the liquor stores from religious zealots.

Now, none of this means that there are no health risks associated with alcohol abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

Drinking too much can harm your health. Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years. Further, excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64 years. The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2010 were estimated at $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink.

But since when is it the proper function of government to discourage the drinking of alcohol, prohibit commerce in alcohol, license the sellers of alcohol, educate anyone to “make informed, smarter decisions about alcohol,” restrict the hours when alcohol can be sold or consumed, or set a minimum age to purchase, possess, or drink alcoholic beverages?

At the bottom of the website of Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board, next to the seal of the state of Pennsylvania, it says, “Keystone State. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom.” Yet, when it comes to the commodity of alcohol, there is no tolerance or freedom in Pennsylvania. Not when no one is permitted to open a private liquor store. Not when all restaurants are allowed to purchase the liquor they sell only from the PLCB. Not when business must get a license to sell alcoholic beverages. Not when the liquor stores need to be freed.

]]>https://1buv.com/free-the-liquor-stores-zero-hedge/feed/0UFC star Conor McGregor announces his retirement again — RT Sport Newshttps://1buv.com/ufc-star-conor-mcgregor-announces-his-retirement-again-rt-sport-news/
https://1buv.com/ufc-star-conor-mcgregor-announces-his-retirement-again-rt-sport-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:30:45 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298468Conor McGregor announced on Twitter he has decided to retire from fighting, but many commenters are skeptical, considering the number of times he has done this before. The 31-year-old Irish fighter announced his retirement on Twitter, posting a picture of himself and his mom after one of his title wins. “Thank you all for the […]

Conor McGregor announced on Twitter he has decided to retire from fighting, but many commenters are skeptical, considering the number of times he has done this before.

The 31-year-old Irish fighter announced his retirement on Twitter, posting a picture of himself and his mom after one of his title wins.

“Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!” he said.

Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting.Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins!Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you!Whatever you desire it’s yours pic.twitter.com/Dh4ijsZacZ

Some commenters were quick to dismiss the news as an attempt to grab attention. McGregor has announced his retirement twice in his career already, in 2016 and again last year, they pointed out.

The retirement announcement came shortly after UFC 250 in Las Vegas. UFC president Dana White said he hadn’t talked with McGregor before his tweet, adding, “You know how Conor works. That’s how he does things.”

If Conor does retire for real this time, he’ll be leaving with a 22-4 overall record.

]]>https://1buv.com/ufc-star-conor-mcgregor-announces-his-retirement-again-rt-sport-news/feed/0Overreliance on ventilators led to coronavirus deaths, study shows – NaturalNews.comhttps://1buv.com/overreliance-on-ventilators-led-to-coronavirus-deaths-study-shows-naturalnews-com/
https://1buv.com/overreliance-on-ventilators-led-to-coronavirus-deaths-study-shows-naturalnews-com/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:28:25 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298464(Natural News) The use of ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients has come under scrutiny after a new study stated that the devices may be doing more harm than good. The study, published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, said that mechanical ventilation can damage the lungs of COVID-19 patients, especially those who are elderly or have […]

The study, published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, said that mechanical ventilation can damage the lungs of COVID-19 patients, especially those who are elderly or have severe symptoms. This means that healthcare professionals will have to re-evaluate their reliance on ventilators for these patients and stop being so quick to intubate.

“This is one of the first coherent, comprehensive, and reasonably clear discussions of the pathophysiology of Covid-19 in the lungs that I’ve seen,” said Dr. Muriel Gillick, a palliative care physician at Harvard Medical School who was not involved with the study. Gillick was among the experts who questioned the effectiveness of ventilators in COVID-19 patients, according to STAT.

The lungs of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms are often covered with thick mucus. This prevents the lungs from being able to absorb oxygen, even with the use of a ventilator.

In addition, unlike other types of pneumonia, the areas of lung damage in COVID-19 patients often sit right next to healthy tissue. When large volumes of oxygen-rich air are forced into the elastic at high pressures, it can lead to what the study calls “ventilator-induced injury.” These injuries include leaks, inflammation and blood clots in the lungs.

“Invasive ventilation can be lifesaving, but can also damage the lung,” co-author Marcus Schultz told STAT.

Most healthcare professionals tend to use hypoxemia — having abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood — as a sign that a patient needs mechanical ventilation. But, as the researchers pointed out, equating hypoxemia to the need for a ventilator can lead healthcare workers astray.

While the team agrees that a patient who is clearly struggling to breathe should be intubated, they noted that hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients manifests differently than with other diseases like other forms of pneumonia or sepsis.

For non-COVID-19 patients exhibiting hypoxemia, they often gasp for air and can barely speak. However, coronavirus patients — even those with blood oxygen levels at 80 percent or lower — can speak full sentences without getting winded. In addition, these patients don’t show the usual signs of respiratory distress associated with hypoxemia. For comparison, normal blood oxygen levels are in the high 90s.

“In our personal experience, hypoxemia … is often remarkably well tolerated by Covid-19 patients,” the researchers wrote. “The trigger for intubation should, within certain limits, probably not be based on hypoxemia but more on respiratory distress and fatigue.”

Without any signs of distress, the researchers state that the blood oxygen levels of coronavirus patients don’t need to be raised above 88 percent. This is a much lower level than in other causes of pneumonia.

University of California, San Francisco’s Phil Rosenthal, editor of the journal, agreed with the researchers, stating that it was important to highlight “aspects of COVID-19 that differ from other diseases that require respiratory support.” He said that recognizing the difference in how COVID-19 patients respond to low blood oxygen levels compared to patients of other illnesses “may allow physicians to avoid intubation/ventilator support in some patients.”

There is a growing recognition that coronavirus patients, even those with a severe lung infection, can be treated safely with simple face masks and nose prongs that deliver oxygen. The former include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks often used for patients with sleep apnea, or biphasic positive airway pressure masks (BiPAP) used for those with congestive heart failure. CPAP can also be delivered using hood or helmets, reducing the risk that the patient will expel large quantities of the virus into the air and endanger healthcare workers and other patients.

In addition, in the face of ventilator shortages, switching to CPAP and BiPAP masks can allow healthcare systems to keep ventilators in reserve for those patients who do need them.

]]>https://1buv.com/overreliance-on-ventilators-led-to-coronavirus-deaths-study-shows-naturalnews-com/feed/0Ouch! Liverpool’s John Barnes Shares Porn Images in Off-Handed Anti-Trump Tweethttps://1buv.com/ouch-liverpools-john-barnes-shares-porn-images-in-off-handed-anti-trump-tweet/
https://1buv.com/ouch-liverpools-john-barnes-shares-porn-images-in-off-handed-anti-trump-tweet/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:21:54 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298461Viral 06:18 GMT 07.06.2020Get short URL You might want to double-check your screenshots before hitting the tweet button – or you may end up accidentally sharing stuff publicly that not everyone is going to like. If you think the chances of that happening are too slim to worry about, please consider the case of John […]

You might want to double-check your screenshots before hitting the tweet button – or you may end up accidentally sharing stuff publicly that not everyone is going to like. If you think the chances of that happening are too slim to worry about, please consider the case of John Barnes.

Attacking Donald Trump on Twitter has never been that awkward.

Liverpool legend John Barnes has found himself in a rather embarrassing situation after he unwittingly shared porn in a Twitter screenshot.

Barnes, 56, shared a screenshot of a photo of Donald Trump with his mother, Mary Anne Trump, which contained a quote often falsely attributed to Mary: ‘Yes, he’s an idiot with zero common sense and no social skills, but he IS my son.”

“I just hope he never goes into politics. He’d be a disaster.”

At the bottom of the screenshot, the camera roll appeared to show two images from hardcore porn videos.

The blunder hasn’t gone unnoticed, with one commenter tweeting: “Might want to crop the photo John, just a suggestion.”

“Don’t know how to do that,” the former England international replied. “I’m afraid to press buttons on this phone.. I’m 56 yrs old, so happy to just be able to get one or two words out on twitter that people understand!”

He has since deleted the tweet and issued an apology to anyone who may have not taken it lightly. He also insisted that the images were from his friend’s camera roll and not his.

I have to apologise for any offence caused as I posted a Donald trump picture sent to me by a friend.. on the camera roll under was a video of pornography.. I wasn’t aware that it was there and apologise once again for any offence caused

]]>https://1buv.com/ouch-liverpools-john-barnes-shares-porn-images-in-off-handed-anti-trump-tweet/feed/0National Organization for Women Members Say Racism Ran Rampanthttps://1buv.com/national-organization-for-women-members-say-racism-ran-rampant/
https://1buv.com/national-organization-for-women-members-say-racism-ran-rampant/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:14:11 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298458Monica Weeks knew she was taking a risk when she ran for vice president of the National Organization for Women. She was young—29 years old—and campaigning on the first all-women-of-color ticket in the organization’s 50-year history. Her friends thought the group was old-fashioned, and her mother, an immigrant from Cuba, was anxious about her taking […]

Monica Weeks knew she was taking a risk when she ran for vice president of the National Organization for Women. She was young—29 years old—and campaigning on the first all-women-of-color ticket in the organization’s 50-year history. Her friends thought the group was old-fashioned, and her mother, an immigrant from Cuba, was anxious about her taking on such a high-profile role. But recent family events, coupled with the devastating results of the 2016 election, had convinced her that now was the time to step up.

That’s how Weeks found herself in front of a sea of older white women at the Colors Lounge in Melbourne, Florida, in June 2017, addressing the Brevard County NOW chapter. Her voice broke as she spoke about what motivated her to run, and the conversations she’d had with her mother about the importance of fighting for both women and people of color.

“It’s important because we need to give a voice to those most oppressed in order to make everybody better,” Weeks told the audience, many of whom were around her mother’s age. “That’s women of color, that’s disabled people, that’s LGBTQ people.”

She was about to move on to the most relevant part of her stump speech—how NOW could help do all this—when she was interrupted by a white woman in the audience.

“White women, too!” the woman yelled.

“And then yeah, don’t forget the white women,” Weeks replied evenly.

“Just the women with the pussies!” another woman called out, in what seemed to be a reference to trans women. In video obtained by The Daily Beast, you can hear an audience member groan.

“It’s OK,” Weeks said, attempting to press on. “It is important to include all women.”

“All women!” the first heckler cried.

“It is important to include all women,” Weeks tried. “But if you don’t realize the privilege that’s been afforded to you because of a difference in color…”

“We recognize it!” the first woman yelled.

Eventually, Weeks was able to get the crowd back under control. But she says the experience made her realize, for the first time, that there were systemic issues in NOW that even she couldn’t fix.

“This organization has a problem of racism and ageism and [they] don’t know how to deal with it,” she told The Daily Beast in an interview.

“I thought when I was coming into the feminist movement I was joining this big sisterhood,” she added, “and that was the biggest disappointment in my life.”

NOW is the oldest and largest feminist organization in the United States. Its members span 550 chapters and all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. Founded in 1966 by prominent feminists like Betty Friedan, its members have marched for civil rights, raised millions of dollars for female candidates, and led the push for an Equal Rights Amendment for women. NOW was the first national organization to endorse the legalization of abortion and one of the only groups to endorse Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to run for president.

But the 2017 race for NOW’s president and vice president—in which Weeks and longtime member China Fortson-Washington ran, and ultimately lost, a historic campaign to lead the organization—peeled back the veil on what members and employees say is a pattern of racism in the storied feminist group.

In interviews with The Daily Beast, nearly a dozen members, employees, and visitors recalled women of color being heckled, silenced, or openly disparaged at NOW meetings and offices. The behavior culminated at the 2017 conference where, witnesses say, members dismissed Fortson-Washington, a black woman, as “angry” and entitled, and accused Weeks of being a “hot-headed Latina.” On the last day of the conference, more than a dozen women marched around a conference room to protest racism inside the organization.

But the problem didn’t stop there. Internal emails, documents and interviews obtained by the Daily Beast reveal that allegations of racism reached the highest levels of the organization after Weeks and Fortson-Washington’s loss. More than a dozen employees at the national headquarters signed onto a letter accusing President Toni Van Pelt of sidelining and disparaging women of color, and the previous vice president has filed a federal racial discrimination suit.

“I am a black woman, I have experienced racism,” one former employee told The Daily Beast. “But what happened there… I have never experienced that before.”

Shortly after The Daily Beast reached out for comment, Van Pelt sent an email to all NOW Board members, state presidents, staff and PAC members apologizing for any hurt she had caused and committing to five action items to improve racial justice within the organization.

“All Black Lives matter,” she wrote. “As a White woman, I’ll never understand the experiences of women of color. I challenge myself to address structural racism and recognize that this is a lifelong, ongoing process. I do understand it is critical to acknowledge my own privilege and strive to be a better ally. As the leader of NOW, and a leader within the intersectional feminist movement, I must hold myself and our organization accountable to do more.”

“I thought when I was coming into the feminist movement I was joining this big sisterhood, and that was the biggest disappointment in my life.”

— Monica Weeks

NOW was founded in the throes of second-wave feminism—a movement heralded for successes like the Equal Pay Act and Title IX, but criticized for a lack of self-awareness on matters of race. The movement was led largely by middle-class, college-educated white women who, critics say, focused on their own struggle—the plight of the American housewife—at the expense of black and brown women. Even today, NOW members say they struggle to recruit women of color.

That was part of the reason Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, a Puerto Rican woman and the executive director of a Florida abortion fund, hesitated when the Orlando NOW chapter invited her to speak in 2017. When she did agree, her experience was worse than she could have imagined. Audience members interrupted and talked over her constantly, she said, and the chapter president did nothing to stop them. “It was a shitshow, to be honest,” she told The Daily Beast.

The next day, Piñeiro emailed chapter president Barbara Cady about her concerns, attaching some readings on white silence in the face of racism. To her surprise, Cady responded with a series of increasingly bizarre emails, calling Piñeiro an “immature girl who wants to blame the world for her bad experiences.”

At one point, the chapter president suggested Piñeiro read the book Incidents In The Life of a Slave Girl, writing that there was “no safe space for women of color during [the time of slavery].”

“I’m not buying any of this nonsense about ‘white silence,’” Cady, a white woman, wrote to Piñeiro. “You do not know anything about my experience in life and I resent you thinking its ok for you to spout off about race issues to me … Every women [sic] in that room has suffered, even the white ones.”

“I suggest you get off you [sic] high horse and drop this ‘white women vs women of color’ nonsense,” she added. “We are all in this together, sister. I don’t owe you anything because you believe you have had a certain experience in life from being whatever it is you consider yourself to be.”

“I’m not buying any of this nonsense about ‘white silence.’”

— Barbara Cady, in an email to a Latina NOW member

In a statement to The Daily Beast, Cady apologized for the way she had handled the situation.

“I have since left the NOW organization to run for public office in the State of FL and have allied myself with different organizations such as Mision Boricua and Allianza for Progress and have learned much about the issues of racism in America,” she said. “Looking back with what I have learned since then… I could have handled the situation better. I am sorry that I was not better equipped and let my fragile ego get in the way of my work. When we know better, we do better.”

Piñeiro never responded to the five emails she received from Cady. Instead, she promptly canceled all further speaking engagements with NOW and sent the abortion fund’s white president in her place. The last she heard from Cady was last July, when she emailed Piñeiro to solicit donations for her state House campaign.

“I was just shocked at how out of touch [she was] and how much she just did not get that what happened was wrong,” Piñeiro told The Daily Beast. In a follow-up email, she added:

“They don’t want to truly engage with young women of color or people of color; they want complacent young WOC bodies in the room because it is trendy to be inclusive.”

Nowhere were these tensions more evident than in the 2017 campaign for NOW president and vice president, in which Weeks and Fortson-Washington campaigned against Van Pelt—a former travel agency owner and “secular humanist activist”— and longtime NOW board member Gilda Yazzie.

While Yazzie is Native American, Weeks and Fortson-Washington would have been the first women of color to claim the presidency and vice presidency at the same time. They told The Daily Beast they experienced racism from the very beginning—from the NOW member who told Weeks to “tone down the Hispanic thing a little bit,” to the woman who assailed their campaign team for “playing the race card.”

The situation came to a head at NOW’s national conference in June, where hundreds of members descended on the Florida Hotel and Conference Center to elect their new leadership. Multiple attendees told The Daily Beast they were shocked by the tense atmosphere: Women wore T-shirts supporting their favored candidate and glared at members of the opposing team across the hallways. (Van Pelt and Yazzie’s T-shirts read “intersectionality” on the back—a reference to a theory of how identities such as race and gender intersect. When one attendee asked a white woman wearing the T-shirt to define the term, she could not.)

On the final night of the convention, candidates were invited to give speeches and participate in a question-and-answer segment. When it was Fortson-Washington’s turn to speak, one attendee said, Van Pelt took out her laptop on stage and started working. Later, the attendee said, she heard an audience member turn to a friend and ask, “Just because she’s black she thinks she would be a good leader?”

Another attendee, Tess Martin, said she heard a white woman start complaining about “this Black Lives Matter crap” when Fortson-Washington mentioned bringing more women of color to the table. During the Q-and-A session, Martin said, a woman asked point-blank what white women were supposed to do if everyone was focusing on women of color.

In an email to a friend after the convention ended, Martin expressed her disgust with what she had seen.

“This was supposedly a safe space with women who believed in the things I did—equality for all women, no matter their race, socioeconomic background, sexual preference, gender identity, or disability—but that was only a mask,” Martin, who is black, wrote.

“NOW’s true face was very different,” she added. “Below the convenient lip service of sisterhood, it revealed itself to be the worst kind of clique, and the members are not women who look like me.”

She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. As voting wrapped up that night, more than a dozen members—including outgoing president Terri O’Neil—descended on an end-of-conference happy hour to protest racism within the organization. They marched silently around the high-top tables piled into the hotel conference room, carrying signs reading “Silence is acceptance,” and “No space for hate.” Some of the happy-hour attendees looked on attentively, participant Julie Tran Deily recalled, while others stared at them “like we grew 10 heads” and then-Florida chapter president Terry Sanders screamed at them about having “sour grapes.”

Hours later, they would learn that Van Pelt had won.

“Dear Members of the National NOW Board,” read a June 7, 2018, letter from 15 former NOW staffers and interns. “We are writing to ask for serious consideration of the removal of Toni Van Pelt as President of the National Organization for Women and for serious appraisal of Toni’s leadership since she began her term in August 2017.”

The staffers—all of whom resigned or were fired from the national office in the past year—said they were struggling with how to handle Van Pelt’s “illegal, morally reprehensible, dishonest, destructive, and frankly toxic behavior.” They claimed Van Pelt had physically, verbally, and emotionally threatened staff members; irrevocably damaged relationships with coalition partners; and led an office with a total lack of structure and protocols. And then there was the issue of race.

First, the staffers wrote, there was the time Van Pelt spoke on a panel with a black reverend and refused to use his official title, instead calling him by his first name. Then, they said, there was the time she forgot the name of the congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and asked her staffers, “What’s her name? Punjabi?” They said Van Pelt repeatedly referred to the social media director, an Asian-American woman, as the “IT person,” and kept talking over women of color in meetings and conference calls. (In one weekly strategy call, they wrote, Van Pelt cut off a black, female fundraising expert by saying, “I don’t care about your opinion.”)

But what was most concerning, according to the 15 former staffers, was Van Pelt’s treatment of her vice president, Gilda Yazzie. In the months since taking office, they said, Van Pelt had slowly reduced her Native American No. 2’s responsibilities, denying her access to payroll software and instructing staff not to talk to her about payroll-related issues. At one point, the letter claimed, Van Pelt ordered a staff member to buy a stamp of Yazzie’s signature and deliver it to her own home—ostensibly so she could use the vice president’s signature without her consent.

The staffers also claimed Van Pelt had told at least two employees that she chose Yazzie as a running mate only because she needed a woman of color on her ticket. (In a separate letter to the board reviewed by The Daily Beast, a third staffer confirmed hearing this comment.)

“As far as staff could observe, Toni has made no real effort to bring Gilda into the fold and has only increased tension in their relationship through erratic and sometimes violent treatment toward Gilda,” the former staffers wrote. “Throughout Toni’s time at NOW, she has done everything in her power to make Gilda’s work experience miserable.”

Apparently, Yazzie felt the same. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. district court in December, the former VP accused the organization of racial discrimination and retaliation, claiming she was forced out of her role when she complained about Van Pelt’s racist harassment.

According to the suit, the disagreement started as soon as the pair assumed office. Yazzie claims Van Pelt refused to collaborate with her, meet individually with her, or even communicate with her directly, except under rare circumstances. The tension reached a climax in late January 2018 when, Yazzie claims in the suit, Van Pelt chased her vice president around the office, throwing papers and yelling, “You won’t be here for three years!” (In the staff letter, several former staffers confirm having heard a commotion on this date.)

Later that day, Yazzie sent an email to the national office staff, alerting them that she would be working from home for a few days and accusing Van Pelt of creating a “hostile workplace.” Van Pelt responded by telling her to expect a new job description. “Let me remind you that I am President and, as such, your immediate supervisor,” she wrote, in emails reviewed by The Daily Beast. “I expect to see you in the office tomorrow behaving in a calm, rational manner.”

The situation only deteriorated from there. Over the summer, Yazzie claims in the suit, some of Van Pelt’s allies on the board pushed to have Yazzie removed from her position—based largely on an external audit report that accused her of mishandling the organization’s finances. Yazzie’s supporters pushed back, saying the finances were never the vice president’s job to begin with. The board eventually agreed to have her work remotely, in part to avoid the atmosphere at the national office, but Yazzie told The Daily Beast she was never given a budget or other tools necessary to do her work.

On May 6, 2019, after Yazzie had been working remotely for less than a year, the board voted to remove her as vice president of the organization to which she had dedicated nearly three decades of her life.

“They are a very poor picture of feminists,” Yazzie told The Daily Beast of the national board. “They didn’t care that I was being discriminated against, that I was being tokenized, that I was being threatened in the office, that I was afraid for my safety.”

“They wanted me, but they wanted me as a token,” she added. “They did not want me as a full, functioning vice president.”

In the email Van Pelt sent to members Friday, she apologized for any harm she had caused and added: “I want to and will do better. I want the National Organization for Women to do better and we will do better.”

She also promised to hire a full-time staff member dedicated to increasing diversity throughout NOW, conduct virtual racial equity training and town halls for members, and campaign for police accountability and against voter suppression.

“NOW prioritizes educating our membership about racism, White privilege, systemic and structural oppression and suppression,” she said. “NOW has been working on equality issues for over 50 years, and I know we have much more work to do. We are always listening, learning, growing, and striving to improve.”

“They wanted me, but they wanted me as a token.”

— Gilda Yazzie, former NOW vice president

Last Wednesday, as protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers gripped the nation, NOW issued a press release claiming that racial justice was “at the core of NOW’s mission” and calling on allies to “stand up, speak out, and make intentional and purposeful movements of solidarity.” (The statement was initially sent out to state chapters with the subject line “‘I Can’t Breathe’ – We All Can’t Breathe,” which several members protested.)

Just 10 days earlier, NOW’s digital media director, Kim Sontag, had posted a picture on Facebook of a black man standing next to a bicycle, insinuating that he had stolen it. “If you owned a blue TREK with flat handle bar[sic] and a narrow seat, it’s currently having the paint scraped off by this guy,” she wrote. “I’d venture a guess it’s stole [sic].”

After outcry from state chapter leaders, Sontag deleted the post and issued an apology, saying: “I realize now that my judgment was questionable and that my assumption of guilt on the part of the individual in the photo (and the posting of same) could have potentially put that man at risk of real danger.” She remains in her position at NOW.

In a call this week, a diverse group of state chapter leaders scoffed at the idea that NOW could claim racial justice as part of its mission at all.

“The call to end systemic racism is laughable,” Koleika Seigle, the California NOW president, told The Daily Beast. “We haven’t committed to ending racism within NOW. How can you call for anybody else to clean up their house [when] we haven’t cleaned up our own?”

“It’s always the other organizations that have well thought-out, well researched [policies], and highly professional people,” added Patty Belasalma, a former California president. “The national organization has become a way station for insecure, uncredentialed, sometimes unemployable white women.”

At one point, someone on the call suggested that things would be better if NOW had a woman of color in charge. Fortson-Washington, who was also on the call, was silent for a long time. When she finally spoke, she sounded tired.

“The greatest fear I see in NOW is that the older white women fear change,” she told the group. “They fear the change in what NOW looks like because for so long they’ve only seen a person who looks like them in leadership.”

“That’s their fear, is that there are women of color out here that are fearless, they’re formidable, they’re intelligent, and they have the capability to lead,” she told The Daily Beast in a follow-up call. “But in this organization they always want women of color to be second.”

]]>https://1buv.com/national-organization-for-women-members-say-racism-ran-rampant/feed/0Joe Biden Faces Major Enthusiasm Gap In Home State Of Pennsylvaniahttps://1buv.com/joe-biden-faces-major-enthusiasm-gap-in-home-state-of-pennsylvania/
https://1buv.com/joe-biden-faces-major-enthusiasm-gap-in-home-state-of-pennsylvania/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 06:05:27 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298455Joe Biden was a Senator for Delaware before becoming Obama’s VP but his home state is Pennsylvania. You may have heard Biden referred to as ‘Scranton Joe’ in the past. But now it’s coming to light that he may not be able to deliver Pennsylvania to the Democrats this fall. Trump won the state in […]

Biden is facing a real enthusiasm problem in home state of Pennsylvania

Despite a deadly pandemic, staggering unemployment and racial unrest, Pennsylvania voters showed up in record numbers to take part in their presidential primary Tuesday — even though the results were a foregone conclusion.

“We are already looking at a 40 percent voter turnout, which is what we hit in 2016 where there were still contested races on both sides of the aisle,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive. “These numbers are way off the charts.”

And judging by the numbers so far, President Trump drew voters out in force. With almost 98 percent of districts counted, Republicans have cast more than 861,000 ballots for Donald Trump, with 734,000 Democrats voting for Joe Biden.

And while it’s still unclear how many people voted in person versus mail-in ballot, some counties are reporting that Trump drew plenty of supporters out of their homes.

This is the most telling part of the report:

Four years ago, pundits dismissed the overwhelming number of Trump signs posted on back roads, farms and highways in Rust Belt states as an unscientific measure of voter enthusiasm. But the signs for Trump (and lack of signs for his opponent Hillary Clinton) revealed a passion factor that traditional polls missed.

In 2020, Trump signs are once again everywhere in Pennsylvania. And Biden signs seem nonexistent.

]]>https://1buv.com/joe-biden-faces-major-enthusiasm-gap-in-home-state-of-pennsylvania/feed/0Thousands Join Philly Protest Organized by Socialist Grouphttps://1buv.com/thousands-join-philly-protest-organized-by-socialist-group/
https://1buv.com/thousands-join-philly-protest-organized-by-socialist-group/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:55:26 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298452Thousands of George Floyd protesters filled the streets near City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday during an event led by socialists. The march, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), started outside the Art Museum and quickly drew a massive crowd, according to CBS Philly. An estimated 6,000 people participated in the […]

Thousands of George Floyd protesters filled the streets near City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday during an event led by socialists.

The march, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), started outside the Art Museum and quickly drew a massive crowd, according to CBS Philly.

An estimated 6,000 people participated in the demonstration, which took place before the citywide 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. curfew took effect.

Saturday afternoon, NBC10 tweeted aerial footage of the protest:

Thousands of people in Philadelphia continue to protest racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Crowds in Center City stretched from the steps of the Art Museum and past the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. https://t.co/LlmPCHjz7Qpic.twitter.com/6YJT2DvCW7

Following the march, the PSL said the thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and to bring an end to the “war on Black America,” according to its Facebook page.

The post continued:

We call for the funding of the real needs of our communities and an immediate DEFUNDING AND DEMILITARIZATION OF THE POLICE! We call for Governor Wolf to WITHDRAW THE NATIONAL GUARD! And we call on Commissioner Outlaw to RESIGN after directing the unprovoked brutalization of demonstrators on 6/1! ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

At the protest, author and self-described revolutionary Eugene Puryear addressed the crowd and said, “This is not a riot, this is an uprising. This is not a riot, this is a rebellion. And successful uprisings and rebellions become REVOLUTIONS.”

“They never think it can happen until it does. Let them laugh at us. Let them ridicule us. Let them yell, ‘Get a job.’ Let them say whatever they want to say. We are an unstoppable force that will bring this capitalist system to its knees.”

Later, Mayor Jim Kenney shared a photo of himself and a group of protesters kneeling at the Octavius Catto Memorial outside City Hall:

This week has been humbling. It has shown me—someone who considers themselves to be progressive and an ally—that there is a great deal more for me to learn.

]]>https://1buv.com/thousands-join-philly-protest-organized-by-socialist-group/feed/0Military Pilot Grounded After Low-Flying Helicopter Maneuvers Over D.C. Protestshttps://1buv.com/military-pilot-grounded-after-low-flying-helicopter-maneuvers-over-d-c-protests/
https://1buv.com/military-pilot-grounded-after-low-flying-helicopter-maneuvers-over-d-c-protests/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:45:12 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298448Despite according to a prior New York Times report top Pentagon brass initially ordered that National Guard helicopters assist in dispersing protests and riots which overwhelmed streets outside the White House early this week, at least one helicopter pilot has been grounded pending an investigation over low-flying maneuvers. The Black Hawk helicopter presence created a huge stir among […]

Despite according to a prior New York Times report top Pentagon brass initially ordered that National Guard helicopters assist in dispersing protests and riots which overwhelmed streets outside the White House early this week, at least one helicopter pilot has been grounded pending an investigation over low-flying maneuvers.

The Black Hawk helicopter presence created a huge stir among activists nationwide, as footage went viral of the pilots using gusts from the helicopter blades to deter crowds.

The Pentagon had described the “show of force” tactic as a menacing “persistent presence” to dissuade the below throngs amid raging Black Lives Matter protests.

Reporters and demonstrators alleged that in some locations where the swooping maneuver was made store windows were broken by the severe downdraft along with tree limbs, which in at least one case reportedly hurt a bystander when branches struck the person.

Caught on film were US Army UH-72 Lakota helicopters, as well as UH-60 Black Hawks coming within as little as 100 feet over the crowds.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters that the helicopter crew was grounded pending results from an internal investigation, according to local CBS affiliate WUSA9. A Pentagon spokesman told the outlet that the move was standard procedure during such investigations.

The aircraft was one of two Army National Guard helicopters that hovered between 100 and 300 feet above the streets of the District on Monday night, according to an aircraft tracker. Gusts from their helicopter blades were aimed at dispersing crowds of protesters.

Via The Drive/social media footage stillframes.

And further the D.C. National Guard commander, Maj. Gen. William Walker, had indicated in a prior statement that he’d “directed an immediate investigation into the June 1 incident.”

“I hold all members of the District of Columbia National Guard to the highest of standards,” Walker said. “We live and work in the District, and we are dedicated to the service of our nation.”

In a disturbing show of force usually seen in war zones, military helicopters hovered over crowds of protesters in Washington, D.C. pic.twitter.com/K9g3n9Sz2s

No doubt, the pending investigation and grounding of the pilot is largely a political response, given not only the widespread condemnation of military armed forces being utilized for crowd and riot control on American streets, but at a moment the Pentagon and White House are increasingly at odds over the role of soldiers amid the nationwide unrest.

And given the controversy, we’re unlikely to see low-flying helicopters during Saturday’s protest, despite the prediction that they’ll be the biggest yet on the capitol, and potentially most dangerous given the chaos of early this week.

It also suggests a broader trend of lower ranking police officers and soldiers potentially being thrown under the buswhen the “orders” from their higher-ups come under media scrutiny.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California sheriff’s deputy was killed and two law enforcement officers wounded Saturday when they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect, authorities said.

Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was shot and killed in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said. A second deputy was injured, and a third officer from the California Highway Patrol was shot in his hand, Hart said.

Gutzwiller “was a beloved figure here at the sheriff’s office,” the sheriff said.

“Damon showed up today to do his job, to keep this community safe, and his life was taken needlessly,” a visibly shaken Hart said.

The suspect, Steven Carrillo, was shot during his arrest and was being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Hart said. The Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are investigating.

The deputies responded to a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. about a suspicious van. The caller said there were guns and bomb-making devices inside, Hart said.

When deputies arrived, the van pulled away and the deputies followed. The van went down a driveway at Carrillo’s home and the deputies were ambushed by gunfire and explosives after getting out of their vehicle.

Gutzwiller was wounded and later died at a hospital. Another deputy was wounded by gunfire or shrapnel and struck by a vehicle as the suspect fled.

Carrillo attempted to carjack a vehicle and was wounded while being arrested.

Hart said Carrillo was taken to the hospital for treatment and would be charged with first-degree murder.

The shooting shocked Ben Lomond, a town of about 6,000 people tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Resident Kathy Crocker brought a bouquet to the sheriff’s office as Hart gave a news conference about the shootings.

“It just breaks my heart that this keeps happening,” she said, as teary-eyed deputies entered the building.

]]>https://1buv.com/deputy-killed-2-other-officers-shot-in-california-ambush/feed/0Trudeau’s kneeling in solidarity with George Floyd movement backfires – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/trudeaus-kneeling-in-solidarity-with-george-floyd-movement-backfires-newswars/
https://1buv.com/trudeaus-kneeling-in-solidarity-with-george-floyd-movement-backfires-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:25:08 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298442Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home. Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter […]

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee in support of the anti-racist protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd at an Ottawa rally, but was quickly reminded of little action on racial issues at home.

Trudeau joined dozens of demonstrators outside the Canadian parliament who rallied in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and over the death of Floyd, an African-American during his arrest by a white police officer. He did not speak at the event, but clapped and nodded along with other speakers and chants.

His kneeling has been hailed by his supporters as he might be the first world leader to have done so, but was met with considerable criticism as well.

Some hecklers may be heard during the event shouting “Go home, blackface,” referring to multiple photos of Trudeau wearing the problematic makeup on multiple occasions.

Trudeau has been facing tough questions over his record of dealing with racism and discrimination in Canada that go beyond his youthful transgressions. Critics accused him of doing nothing but talking over inequalities that black and indigenous people face in Canada. New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh challenged Trudeau to actually do something about disproportionate incarceration of black people and damages done by the welfare system to First Nations kids this week.

The Prime Minister has also been called out for continuing to approve construction of pipelines through the land of indigenous people despite protests and his own promises.

After Justin Trudeau joined the climate march for a photo-op he doubled down on building the pipeline. #cdnpoli

The Prime Minister’s previous attempt at interacting with the George Floyd movement also provided mixed results. When asked about his response to Donald Trump calling for military force to pacify the protests, Trudeau couldn’t give an answer for more than 20 seconds. And even then, his answer was less than satisfying to many.

Asked about Trump’s handling of the protests, Trudeau pauses for 22 sec (!!) before offering meaningless platitudes; no condemnation or even criticism.

Had it been a non-Western country, there would’ve been no pause followed by a strong condemnation and probably some sanctions. https://t.co/6YSVs2Hmf7

]]>https://1buv.com/trudeaus-kneeling-in-solidarity-with-george-floyd-movement-backfires-newswars/feed/0The Real Looters Are The Politicianshttps://1buv.com/the-real-looters-are-the-politicians/
https://1buv.com/the-real-looters-are-the-politicians/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:21:41 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298438Authored by James Bovard via The American Institute for Economic Research, The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police spurred widespread protests which have been followed by looting in dozens of American cities. CNN’s Don Lemon compared looters who plundered Neiman Marcus and other upscale stores to those at the Boston Tea Party. But far more Americans […]

The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police spurred widespread protests which have been followed by looting in dozens of American cities. CNN’s Don Lemon compared looters who plundered Neiman Marcus and other upscale stores to those at the Boston Tea Party. But far more Americans likely agreed with Quinta Caylor, a black North Carolina nurse on Twitter, who denounced the looters who “THUGGED OUT in 1 day” businesses that owners had worked long and hard to build.

There are not yet any solid estimates of the total damage from the looting and burning that has occurred in many cities across the nation. Total losses may range in the tens of millions of dollars or perhaps in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The pillaging has been especially ruinous to many small family-owned businesses, some of whom may not have insurance to cover their losses.

Many cities have responded to violent rampages by imposing curfews and other severe restrictions on movement.

In Portland, Oregon, “rioters have broken into Portland’s main mall in downtown and began looting the Louis Vuitton. Youths ran out with designer bags. They shouted about expropriation,” as Andy Ngo tweeted.

Local damage is far outweighed by Gov. Ralph Northam shutting down the state economy for more than two months– including vast swaths of the Old Dominion that had few if any COVID cases, helping destroy more than half a million jobs.

But more than two million New Yorkers have lost their jobs since Gov. Andrew Cuomo effectively put almost 20 million people under house arrest – a drastic step that he said would be justified if it “saves just one life.” Most counties had only a smattering of COVID cases before Cuomo caused profound upheaval in the lives of vast numbers of his subjects. Also, unlike for Cuomo, there is no evidence tying the looters to 5,000+ deaths in nursing homes.

Some leftists on Twitter urged the looters to go after national chain stores such as Target and avoid small family-owned businesses. Politicians issuing COVID shutdown decrees followed the opposite standard, effectively padlocking small businesses while Walmart and other large stores easily received the “essential” bureaucratic holy water and Amazon practically won the lottery. The recent riots may have destroyed hundreds of businesses. But forecasts predict that millions of businesses could be forced to close or file bankruptcy because of the pandemic disruptions.

The people who pillaged stores in recent days deserve vigorous prosecution, and the deluge of Twitter plundering-in-progress videos could make it easier to identify culprits. It remains to be seen whether mayors will have the gumption to throw the book at the thieves. But it is even less likely that the politicians and other government officials who inflicted far greater damage on the economy will ever be held liable.

]]>https://1buv.com/the-real-looters-are-the-politicians/feed/0Buffalo Cops Who Shoved 75 y.o. Charged with 2nd Degree Assault – Veterans Todayhttps://1buv.com/buffalo-cops-who-shoved-75-y-o-charged-with-2nd-degree-assault-veterans-today/
https://1buv.com/buffalo-cops-who-shoved-75-y-o-charged-with-2nd-degree-assault-veterans-today/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:20:37 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298434Daily Beast: Two Buffalo cops were arraigned on Saturday on one count each of assault in the second degree, after they allegedly shoved a 75-year-old demonstrator during anti-police brutality protests. Martin Gugino, a longtime peace activist in the upstate New York city, hit his head on the pavement and was left on the ground as blood pooled around […]

Daily Beast: Two Buffalo cops were arraigned on Saturday on one count each ofassault in the second degree, after they allegedly shoved a 75-year-old demonstrator during anti-police brutality protests.

Martin Gugino, a longtime peace activist in the upstate New York city, hit his head on the pavement and was left on the ground as blood pooled around his head on Thursday evening. He remained in hospital in a serious but stable condition on Saturday.

Initially, city officials claimed Gugino had tripped and fell. However, a video surfaced showing riot police, who were clearing Niagara Square at the time, clearly pushing Gugino over and walking by his motionless body. The video had been viewed 78 million times by Saturday.

When the two officers, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, were suspended without pay on Friday, all 57 officers in the department’s Emergency Response Team quit the elite unit in protest.

Hundreds of Buffalo police officers showed up to the courthouse to back the pair on Saturday, after the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association reportedly circulated text messages drumming up support. Police and other supporters reportedly cheered when one of the officers exited the courthouse. read more…

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]]>https://1buv.com/buffalo-cops-who-shoved-75-y-o-charged-with-2nd-degree-assault-veterans-today/feed/0Black Lives Matter rally in Berlin descends into violence as police & protesters face off (VIDEO) — RT World Newshttps://1buv.com/black-lives-matter-rally-in-berlin-descends-into-violence-as-police-protesters-face-off-video-rt-world-news/
https://1buv.com/black-lives-matter-rally-in-berlin-descends-into-violence-as-police-protesters-face-off-video-rt-world-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:15:48 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298429Clashes erupted in downtown Berlin, Germany at a rally in support of US protests, as demonstrators squared off with local law enforcement. Nearly 100 people have been arrested. Some 15,000 flocked to Alexanderplatz, a square in the center of the German capital on Saturday afternoon to voice solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests that have […]

Clashes erupted in downtown Berlin, Germany at a rally in support of US protests, as demonstrators squared off with local law enforcement. Nearly 100 people have been arrested.

Some 15,000 flocked to Alexanderplatz, a square in the center of the German capital on Saturday afternoon to voice solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests that have spread across the US. While the main rally, which kicked off around 2 pm local time and lasted for two hours, wrapped up without incident and saw protesters playing jazz music and clapping, the subsequent gatherings around the same area were marred by violence.

About an hour after the peaceful rally ended, there was a showdown between officers and demonstrators, when “several hundred” anti-racism protesters swarmed the area around the Alexanderplatz railway station, according to police.

Scuffles broke out after officers moved to arrest a man suspected of vandalizing a police vehicle, the authorities said. Police said the officers were struck by several bottles and stones thrown from the crowd, which led to an officer and a freelance photographer on the scene being injured. A video by RT’s Ruptly video agency shows a group of about a dozen officers pinning a protester to the ground, and then being pelted by projectiles.

A total of 93 people have been arrested as thousands took to the city’s streets to take part in some 14 rallies, planned for Saturday. Around 800 police were deployed to the city centre to ensure the rallies would not end in disturbances. However, 28 members of the law enforcement have been injured, including three who were temporarily relieved from duties after receiving treatment.

]]>https://1buv.com/black-lives-matter-rally-in-berlin-descends-into-violence-as-police-protesters-face-off-video-rt-world-news/feed/0Antifa, radical Left-wing groups are fueling riots across the U.S. – reports – NaturalNews.comhttps://1buv.com/antifa-radical-left-wing-groups-are-fueling-riots-across-the-u-s-reports-naturalnews-com/
https://1buv.com/antifa-radical-left-wing-groups-are-fueling-riots-across-the-u-s-reports-naturalnews-com/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:14:21 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298427(Natural News) Radical Left-wing and Communist groups are fueling the ongoing riots and protests across the United States, according to reports. This theory, pushed forth by authorities handling the current spate of violence, stems from the organized and well-coordinated nature of the riots. “We have evidence that Antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well […]

(Natural News)
Radical Left-wing and Communist groups are fueling the ongoing riots and protests across the United States, according to reports. This theory, pushed forth by authorities handling the current spate of violence, stems from the organized and well-coordinated nature of the riots.

“We have evidence that Antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions, have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity,” Attorney General William Barr said during a press conference at Justice Department headquarters Thursday.

Barr linked Antifa – a loosely organized group of anti-fascist activists and anarchists with no discernible hierarchy – to activities such as arson, looting and assaults on law enforcement, echoing statements made by other authorities who are also currently involved in controlling the riots.

According to John Miller, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, certain unnamed groups were found to have organized scouts and medics specifically for those who are participating in the riots and protests.

The groups, Miller added, have also developed a complex network of bicycle scouts.

These scouts would move ahead of demonstrators in order to direct individuals from the larger group to places where they could commit acts of vandalism such as the torching police vehicles.

More troubling, Miller said, is the growing evidence that outside agitators are organizing the violence, pointing out in an interview with NBC New York that one out of every seven arrests made during the riots in New York involved people from out of state.

A similar situation has been noted in Minnesota, where the protests first began.

Walz’s comments echo that of conservative journalist and editor Andy Ngo, who is currently covering the recent demonstrations and riots.

In a series of tweets, Ngo, who writes for the conservative publication The Post Millennial, said that the current spate of violence and riots are the direct result of the activation of militant Antifa cells across the country who are now being mobilized to aid Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters.

We are witnessing glimpses of the full insurrection the far-left has been working on for decades. Within hours, militant antifa cells across the country mobilized to aid BLM rioters. The first broken window is the blood in the water for looters to move in. The fires come next.

Bernard B. Kerik, a former police commissioner of the New York City Police Department, agrees, saying in an interview with The Epoch Times that he believes that the protests have been “100 percent exploited” by Antifa, and that the group’s various websites often control and dictate where the protests and riots start.

Kerik, in his Epoch Times interview, noted that organizing the protests and riots would have likely cost “tens of millions of dollars,” adding that it would be “impossible” for somebody outside of the anarchist organization to fund this operation.

The claims linking Antifa to extremist violence have not escaped the White House.

In a tweet posted May 31, President Donald Trump threatened to declare the group a terrorist organization.

The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.

]]>https://1buv.com/antifa-radical-left-wing-groups-are-fueling-riots-across-the-u-s-reports-naturalnews-com/feed/0Number of Top Republicans Do Not Plan to Back Trump’s Re-Election, Report Claimshttps://1buv.com/number-of-top-republicans-do-not-plan-to-back-trumps-re-election-report-claims/
https://1buv.com/number-of-top-republicans-do-not-plan-to-back-trumps-re-election-report-claims/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:07:33 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298424US 05:03 GMT 07.06.2020Get short URL The US presidential election is set to take place on 3 November 2020, as President Donald Trump will apparently confront the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden. The latter had earlier formally clinched his presidential nomination, securing the necessary number of delegates. An increasing number of “prominent” […]

The US presidential election is set to take place on 3 November 2020, as President Donald Trump will apparently confront the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden. The latter had earlier formally clinched his presidential nomination, securing the necessary number of delegates.

An increasing number of “prominent” GOP officials are not going to support their fellow Republican and incumbent President Donald Trump in his re-election campaign, according to The New York Times. Moreover, some of them doubt they will back Trump in the upcoming elections, and are even weighing the possibility of voting for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

The reported increasing dissatisfaction over Trump’s leadership comes as a number of officials who have worked for both Presidents Bush and Reagan, many of whom signed a 2016 letter opposing POTUS, “were on Zoom chats and group emails”, trying to determine how to express their position and whether they should endorse Biden, according to Kori Schake, a former National Security Council employee.

The concerns expressed by the GOP officials are reportedly caused by Trump’s “incendiary response” to the ongoing protests against police brutality and “mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic”.

Among the doubting GOP officials are former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitt Romney, who made it clear that they are not going to support Trump. Cindy McCain, the widow of Senator John McCain, is “almost certain” to back Biden, only refraining amid the possibility of one of her sons running for the office, as Jeb Bush “isn’t sure how he’ll vote”. Also, former Speakers Paul D. Ryan and John A. Boehner have not disclosed their voting intentions, as “retired military leaders” are unsure about supporting Biden, while “voicing their unease about the president’s leadership”. Florida Republican Representative Francis Rooney, who “hasn’t voted for a Democrat in decades”, is also considering supporting Biden.

The former VP is reportedly prepared to set up his “Republicans for Biden” coalition after he “fully consolidates” his own party, the NYT claimed, citing unnamed Democratic official sources. Earlier in the week, he formally clinched his presidential nomination, crossing the threshold of 1,991 required delegates and vowing in a statement to spend every day left before the election “fighting to earn the votes of Americans all across this great country”. He also announced that the Democrats are entering the general election as “a united party”.

Trump’s approach to tackling the unrest sparked by Floyd’s homicide has received a lot of criticism, leading to him squabbling with local governors amid his intentions to use military force to restore order. In an attempt to quell the protests, the President deployed the National Guard in Washington, DC and warned that he might send the military to the regions where local authorities have refused to follow his recommendations to do the same.

Tensions rise as the date of the presidential election, 3 November, is approaching. The nominees from both parties and their picks for running mates are set to be officially announced at the National Conventions. The Democratic National Convention, scheduled for 17-20 August, will precede that of GOP, which is slated to be held on 24-27 August.

]]>https://1buv.com/number-of-top-republicans-do-not-plan-to-back-trumps-re-election-report-claims/feed/0How a Right-Wing Movie Studio Enabled the ‘Harvey Weinstein’ of Indie Filmhttps://1buv.com/how-a-right-wing-movie-studio-enabled-the-harvey-weinstein-of-indie-film/
https://1buv.com/how-a-right-wing-movie-studio-enabled-the-harvey-weinstein-of-indie-film/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 05:00:12 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298421Earlier this year, a Facebook post spread like wildfire through the Texas film community. It was the account of a young actress, alleging that Adam Donaghey, a rising producer in the region, had raped her when she was 16. Donaghey, who has denied the allegation, was subsequently arrested in late April on suspicion of sexual […]

Earlier this year, a Facebook post spread like wildfire through the Texas film community. It was the account of a young actress, alleging that Adam Donaghey, a rising producer in the region, had raped her when she was 16. Donaghey, who has denied the allegation, was subsequently arrested in late April on suspicion of sexual assault of a minor, and is currently free on bail. The Dallas Police Department would not provide any further information.

Donaghey, 39, was a ubiquitous presence in the emerging Dallas movie scene. A rich childhood friend of the director David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon), he had gained entrée into this world by producing Lowery’s 2009 feature directorial debut, St. Nick. “When Adam was introduced to the scene, he was vouched for by Lowery. A lot of credit was given to him just based on that, and a lot of people really accepted him based on that,” says local filmmaker Blair Rowan.

He went on to co-found the Oak Cliff Film Festival in Dallas, as well as shepherd the re-launch of the famed Texas Theatre, which soon became the go-to spot for film-industry locals to mingle. A series of low-budget features followed until Lowery brought him back to produce A Ghost Story. The film, starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck (who has his own sordid history), was a critical hit and instantly made Donaghey a hot commodity. (Lowery tells The Daily Beast that he was “blindsided” by the rape allegation and “heartbroken” over it, and that the incident in question occurred before A Ghost Story.)

Enter Cinestate. Founded in 2016 by former Hollywood talent manager Dallas Sonnier, the Dallas-based studio sought to make “populist entertainment” for the Trump-friendly crowd long ignored by Hollywood. “If we can make a movie that does not treat them as losers, or ask how dare they vote a certain way, or pander to them, naturally they’re going to respond in a positive way,” Sonnier told The Wall Street Journal. In December of last year, The Ringer published a glowing longform feature on the company with the title, “Does the Movie Industry Need an Unsafe Space?”

And, with films like Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and Dragged Across Concrete, the latter a morality play urging sympathy for a racist cop, played by Mel Gibson, who beats down innocent black folks, as well as the launch of the right-wing website Rebeller, its raison d’être was clear.

When Cinestate joined forces with Donaghey in 2017, handing him producing duties on a number of its genre films—The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, VFW and Satanic Panic among them—it was met with a raised eyebrow by many in the Texas film scene, who were well aware of Donaghey’s reputation as a serial predator.

“The first time I was ever on set I was warned about Adam Donaghey,” a female filmmaker tells me. “I was told he was the Harvey Weinstein of Dallas.”

The Daily Beast has spoken to more than 30 people within the Texas film scene, from directors to actors to PAs, who say that Donaghey’s penchant for sexual harassment and labor violations was common knowledge. (Many of these people have requested anonymity, fearing professional retaliation.)

Cristen Leah Haynes first began telling friends about her horrifying encounter with Donaghey immediately after it happened, on July 25, 2014. They were nearing the end of production on the indie film Occupy Texas when Donaghey, the line producer, requested that Haynes, who was serving in the art department, ride with him to another location. Since she was just 21 years old and new to the industry, Haynes obliged.

“We start driving over there and we get there before everybody else. And the whole way there, he’s coming on to me, and it was very blunt. Show me your underwear—not even a question in the beginning, just a statement, like he thought it was OK to say,” Haynes tells The Daily Beast. “I said, ‘I hope you’re joking, but no, that’s OK, thanks.’ But he kept going, so that’s when I pulled my phone out and decided that I should document what was happening in case I got fired after that, or in case he started doing something physically.”

In the audio, which Haynes provided to The Daily Beast, you can hear Donaghey repeatedly harass her, first requesting to see her underwear and then asking if he can penetrate her digitally. “He kept going. I kept kind of laughing it off, trying to ease the tension,” Haynes recalls.

Listen to the audio here:

Here is a brief transcript of part of the exchange:

Donaghey: Come on, just for a second…it’s not a big deal!

Haynes: I feel like…it almost wouldn’t be that bad if you weren’t trying to trade for it.

Donaghey:I’m not trying to trade for it. I just want to see your underwear. That’s all.

Haynes:Yeah…I’m not getting anything out of that. I wouldn’t want to do that.

Donaghey: You just said…hold on a sec! You just said something like, it wouldn’t be a big deal if you weren’t trying to trade, and then you’re saying, well, I’m not getting anything out of that.

Haynes:Well yeah, because it’s not what I want to do. Why would I do it if it’s not something I want to do?

Donaghey: What do you want to do? What do you want to get out of it?

Haynes:Nothing! I don’t want to do it! It’s like saying, I’m going to shoot you in the foot. Well, what do I get out of it? Exactly, you don’t get anything out of it, but I get to shoot you in the foot.

Donaghey:Well, there’s plenty that you could get out of me.

Haynes: Oh, like what?

Donaghey: I’ll make you cum.

Haynes: No.

Donaghey: Even with just my fingers.

Haynes: No.

Donaghey: With no reciprocation.

Haynes: That’s awful.

“I think he was aware of his position. He’s a big line producer who signs the checks, and he’s pretty much my job security, so he has the power to say, ‘You’re fired.’ He knew that,” says Haynes, who says that Donaghey offered her a position as “set dresser” if she gave in to his demands. “People will hate this, but the whole time I was thinking, ‘What kind of signals have I sent him up until now that made him think this was OK?’ It just kind of made me sick to my stomach. Just the balls on this guy, you know?”

According to Haynes, she reported it to her one confidant on set, the first assistant director. “I remember him saying, ‘Oh God, I wish I didn’t know that.’ And that’s when I was like, well, the one person that I know that can do something about it is unable to.” (The AD did not respond to multiple requests for comment.)

She also confided in her friend Jeff Walker, a local Dallas filmmaker, who confirms to The Daily Beast that Haynes told him of the harassment episode “around the time that it happened” in 2014. A whisper campaign began on film sets, with female crew members being warned that “Adam was a creep and to stay away from him,” as one person put it. “It’s a freelance culture and there’s a lot of fear that you’ll never work again, so it’s difficult for people to talk about,” explains Walker.

Then, in December 2016, shortly after the election of Donald Trump, Haynes played the audio for several producers at the wrap party for the film Jules of Light and Dark, a gay love story where Haynes served as second assistant director. (Two producers confirm to The Daily Beast that they heard it then.) “It became really common knowledge,” says Walker, with filmmakers sharing the audio with one another. “People would say, ‘Let me play this for you before hiring this person,’” adds Don Swaynos, a local producer.

“I just wanted to create an awareness, hoping that the people that do hire him would stop and that he would kind of slowly make his way out of the industry,” says Haynes. Also, she feared being iced out of projects due to Donaghey’s considerable reach. “I’ve actually had a producer tell a close coworker of mine that they will not hire me because I am linked to this ‘scandal,’ which was shocking and alienating for me.”

Just after she released the audio, Donaghey reached out to Haynes by phone for what she describes as a weak apology. “As soon as the audio circulated in 2016, he called me on the phone and tried to apologize. And I responded, saying there really wasn’t much he could do at this point,” says Haynes. “This is years after the fact and you’re only apologizing because somebody has said something, and because there’s proof.” During their conversation, Haynes recalls him asking her, “What do we have to do to make this go away?”

“There were multiple moments of that same feeling that I had when I first told somebody—a kind of sickening helplessness of, well, this is just how the industry goes and people will just turn a blind eye to it.”

“I did say if there’s something that you would like to do, you could leave the industry in this area, or leave the industry everywhere and find something else to do so I can go about my life and not have to worry about this. But he declined,” she says. (When reached by email, Donaghey told The Daily Beast, “I can tell you that as soon as I got word of it, I called Cristen and made what I realized was a veiled attempt at an apology. I was upset and in retrospect, probably made things worse by not thinking through my approach… There was never a formal complaint made and I always felt it was a private matter that was resolved appropriately.” He declined to comment on the rape allegation, offering, “I look forward to proving my innocence in court.”)

Watching Donaghey’s star continue to rise in the industry, culminating in his partnership with Cinestate, proved deeply troubling for Haynes given that, as one filmmaker told me, Cinestate has a virtual “monopoly” on projects being made in the region. “I’m sure a lot of people weren’t dissuaded, because indie film is a tough world and if there’s someone with money and connections, they might overlook that in the pursuit of getting their movie made,” Swaynos maintains.

“There were multiple moments of that same feeling that I had when I first told somebody—a kind of sickening helplessness of, well, this is just how the industry goes and people will just turn a blind eye to it,” says Haynes.

Over a dozen people in the Dallas film scene, from filmmakers to producers to crew, told The Daily Beast that two people who turned “a blind eye to it” were Cinestate founder Dallas Sonnier and his producing partner Amanda Presmyk.

By 2017, when Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk began partnering with Donaghey on feature films, the majority of those in the Dallas film scene had either heard the sexual-harassment audio, or were aware of its contents. “Everyone in the industry in Dallas knew about the sexual harassment of Cristen,” one filmmaker tells me. Most also knew about a series of sexual-harassment complaints against Donaghey during his time at the Texas Theatre, including a 2013 episode where he is said to have made an aggressive pass at a bartender who worked there, and two separate incidents where he allegedly groped theatre patrons.

Barak Epstein, who re-launched the Texas Theatre (which he still runs to this day) and co-founded the Oak Cliff Film Festival with Donaghey, claims he is not aware of any controversy other than the one that allegedly occurred in 2013: “We were contacted about an inappropriate interaction at the Texas Theatre fueled by Adam’s drinking at the bar. We had more than one source confirm the incident and Adam was immediately banned from entry. Adam recognized his behavior and pledged to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. He was not an employee, but a legal investor, so at the time it was not fiscally possible for us to part ways.”

But Donaghey’s banishment only lasted around six months, after which he continued to prey on people at the theatre. It wasn’t until 2017, when filmmaker Blair Rowan pressured Epstein to do something about Donaghey, that they took appropriate action. “In 2017, when more rumors circulated about inappropriate behavior (not at the Texas Theatre but allegedly on a film set) we took the legal and financial steps to have him removed from the business entity,” Epstein says. (Donaghey refused to comment on the Texas Theatre allegations.)

Ten people have told The Daily Beast that they reached out to either Dallas Sonnier or Amanda Presmyk to inform them of Donaghey’s history of bad behavior—including his sexual harassment of Cristen, and the existence of the audio—and that their protestations fell on deaf ears. Further, four people allege that they personally offered up the audio to Presmyk, who declined to hear it. “They completely swept it under the rug,” one prominent local filmmaker tells me.

During an hour-long conversation with The Daily Beast, Sonnier and Presmyk both allege that they’ve never heard the audio to this day, that it was never offered to them, and that they merely knew “the gist” of the incident, which was first brought to their attention in mid-2017. “[Adam] was part of our producing team—I’m not denying that. But I confront the hypothesis that there is some scandal here, because there isn’t. I don’t always get things perfectly right but I’m always trying my best,” Sonnier tells The Daily Beast. “I have a different system of handling things that may be a little antiquated than Twitter in 2020 demands of companies and CEOs. I thought a person I knew and worked with made a pass at another person I knew and worked with, and I told him to apologize to her. I didn’t understand the severity of it. I didn’t take the time to investigate it. I’m guilty of that… portion.”

Sonnier pointed to the fact that he doesn’t live in Dallas and that he was very busy running his company as the reasons why he never so much as sought out the audio, even though it has been circulated widely within the Texas film world. He also criticized Haynes for not filing an official sexual-harassment complaint, and repeatedly characterized the allegations against him and his studio as “performative” and “partisan.”

“We’re under siege right now,” says Sonnier. “Everyone involved has their own personal vendettas against us. They have a history of harassing us and having problems with us. It feels like a targeted hit, and it feels like an attack. I think people have real issues with us. They have issues with our success, with the amount of movies we’ve made and in a short time built this company to be something very special. It feels partisan.”

When I asked him to expand on his “partisan” comments, he said, “I think there’s a perception of politics at Cinestate, and the truth is, we are a truly diverse company… I am a complicated guy who identifies as conservative because of certain fiscal responsibilities, limited federal government, things like that. But I’m no fan of the president.”

But Haynes disagrees with Sonnier’s theory. “I’m not attacking anybody. I’m merely stating facts. I’m not out to burn Cinestate. I’m hoping that, given this information, they will evolve into something better. I don’t have any vendetta against them.” She also questions why, if they indeed haven’t heard it, they haven’t tried to get ahold of the audio. “I feel if someone was under my employ, those things would be the first things I’d try to find out. Even to have someone suggest that someone’s done something like that, why wouldn’t you look into it? That’s just negligence,” says Haynes, adding, “I question his morals and values as a company owner.”

And the problems with Cinestate extended far beyond Donaghey.

In recent weeks, the writer Josh Goldbloom has been sounding the alarm on Cinestate’s knowledge of Donaghey’s harassment episode, as well as its supposed negligence as a company. When the news of Donaghey’s arrest broke, a Reddit thread popped up. The comments were soon flooded with eye-opening testimonials from crew members on Cinestate productions alleging poor treatment.

“Three crew members have alleged to The Daily Beast that during production of Cinestate’s grindhouse horror film VFW, which was released in February of this year, the veteran actor Fred Williamson attempted to grope an assistant costume designer during a wardrobe fitting.”

Three crew members have alleged to The Daily Beast that during production of Cinestate’s grindhouse horror film VFW, which was released in February of this year, the veteran actor Fred Williamson attempted to grope an assistant costume designer during a wardrobe fitting. “About 10 minutes into our fitting he reached out for her backside and she scooted out of the way. The more she scooted, the more he extended his hand. It was unbelievable. We awkwardly tried to laugh it off,” a crewmember who witnessed the incident tells The Daily Beast. “He was reaching to grab my ass or slap my ass after some quick comment I don’t recall exactly regarding my backside,” the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, says. (Williamson told The Daily Beast, “If this is the way people wanna go and get popular or get famous or get noticed, this is going to be tough for every male actor or director in the business. I’m sorry she feels that anything happened that was inappropriate, but it certainly didn’t come from me.”)

Both the victim and the crewmember say that the groping attempt, which occurred two days before filming began, was reported to Amanda Presmyk, who told them she’d talk to Williamson. But he remained on the film with no further explanation until, several weeks into production, a female crewmember quit in the hair and makeup department after allegedly receiving a barrage of sexual overtures from Williamson. Four crew members say that Sonnier and Presmyk then held an on-set meeting with the crew where they explained that they couldn’t replace Williamson, and that women on set should abide by a “buddy system” when dealing with Williamson.

“I don’t know the extent of any allegation because none was ever filed, and because the person involved has chosen not to call me back,” Sonnier maintains. “Nobody ever told me they saw him grope anyone. I sat down with them and I said, hey guys, it would cost me hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars if we had to fire an actor [during] shooting, so I’m seeking a conversation with you all to bless a plan with me that we all feel good about.”

Presmyk adds, “The only thing I have ever been aware of on VFW is that Fred Williamson said something off-color or very uncomfortable toward [redacted] and she elected to leave, and then it was brought to us.”

When I told Presmyk that a number of crew members had come forward to tell me about the groping incident, she confessed that she was aware of that as well. “Yeah, frankly, um… it wasn’t something that stood out in my mind until you mention it just now. I remember being texted and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Let’s talk about it.’” She says she remembers it being more “lighthearted in nature, in terms of ‘gross old man,’ that kind of thing, and us commiserating as women.”

On top of the sexual-harassment charges, six crew members on VFW and Satanic Panic accuse Cinestate of making them work oppressively long hours—sometimes 18-hour days—with no overtime pay, and that Donaghey, a producer on both films, consistently pressured crew members into being drastically underpaid either by inputting less hours on their time cards or asking them to turn down overtime. “At that point, it’s a safety issue,” one crewmember on Satanic Panic says. “When you hire someone who has been accused of sexually assaulting someone, and you put them in charge of writing checks for everyone in your entire company, are you not giving that person power to abuse further—whether sexually or through forced labor?”

In addition to signing the checks, which gave him a great deal of power over crew members, a number of people who’ve worked with Donaghey tell The Daily Beast that he was known to threaten people’s careers if they didn’t give in to his demands. “Adam was the kind of guy that threatened people,” filmmaker Jeff Walker says. “He’d make threats like, ‘You’ll never fuckin’ work in this town again.’ It was like he wanted to be Harvey Weinstein.”

Two crew members on Satanic Panic also allege that the actress Ruby Modine (daughter of Matthew) was pressured by Donaghey into performing a sex scene with an obsessed fanboy.

“The guy that was cast didn’t show up. Ruby [Modine] confessed to me that the PA that picked her up from the airport was saying, ‘Oh my gosh, my roommate is so in love with you, and we’re really excited that you’re here.’ It ended up being that the guy they replaced this character with was the fan, so she was forced to do a sex scene with the guy who was a fan of hers,” a crew member tells The Daily Beast. “She protested it to myself, to Amanda, and to Adam. I told them that she didn’t feel comfortable with it and he needed to talk to her about it, and Adam said, ‘I don’t care what she says, we’re going to shoot our movie,’ and walked out of the room.”

“It rubbed me the wrong way,” the crewmember adds. “She ended up doing this scene with a guy who was a fan of hers, who could have been pleasurized by the scene. It was wrong, and obscene.” (Modine declined to comment; Donaghey could not be reached for comment; Presmyk, while acknowledging the hire, says, “It has never been expressed to me directly that there was any particular discomfort with the scene”; Satanic Panic director Chelsea Stardust alleges she was “completely unaware of Adam’s behavior and history until a few weeks ago,” and that “no one involved with the production expressed any concerns to me about Adam’s involvement.”)

The scene remains in the film.

Cinestate finally cut ties with Donaghey in the wake of his arrest. They’ve also announced a series of measures to ensure on-set safety. “We’re trying to fix this moving forward. We’re trying to make the sets a safer place,” Sonnier tells me. “We have put together a really awesome all-female task force that has many advocates, policy attorneys, Dallas crew members, female producers. They’re putting together a series of standards and procedures and a code of conduct to do in these situations.”

He adds, “We want Cinestate to be the gold standard of safety for women moving forward.”

Sonnier also formally apologized to Haynes in an email to her dated May 27, just as the Reddit threat began picking up steam:

When asked whether the company would stop working with Fred Williamson, however, he couldn’t say. “I don’t know. I’m not gonna fuckin’ trash Fred Williamson right now without all the facts,” Sonnier said, before raising his voice to a yell: “People are saying my words are reactionary. You’re goddamn right they are! I’m trying to make my sets a safer place!”

Those who’ve worked with Cinestate in the past aren’t entirely convinced that the new measures will be enough.

“As for the way that Cinestate is supporting women in film, three out of four of us from my costume department on VFW have decided to never work in film again. It’s been disgusting,” a crewmember tells The Daily Beast. “I truly hope speaking about this leads to a more open conversation so that the film industry can actually be nurturing of its creatives instead of being so regularly exploitative and dehumanizing.”

Haynes is skeptical as well. In February of this year, while working as a second assistant director on the Cinestate film Till Death, she says she was groped by another line producer while several crew members were casually lounging in a hot tub. (Two crew members corroborated her version of events to The Daily Beast.)

“We were in the hot tub in conversation and the line producer comes over to me, grabs the small of my back, and grabs really close into my inner thigh, toward him, and says, ‘Let’s dance.’ I really hoped he’d been drinking because he hadn’t acted like this until now. I said, ‘Nobody’s dancing,’ and then he did it again, to the point where the gaffer had to come over and see what was up, and then he saw what he was doing,” says Haynes. (Both Sonnier and Presmyk say they were “unaware” of the Till Death incident.)

To make matters worse, Donaghey was a producer on Till Death. Even though Haynes had turned down several jobs on Donaghey films since being harassed, she says the offer was too good to pass up, and that the production manager had assured her that she would be kept far away from Donaghey and not have any interactions with him, which she didn’t. While Sonnier alleges that he checked in with Haynes prior to shooting to see if she’d be OK working with Donaghey again, she says “that never happened.”

“There was no ‘come to peace’ moment with anyone in production,” she says. “I was hired, put in a room—not too far from Adam’s—and nobody mentioned anything. Nobody came to see if I was OK.”

]]>https://1buv.com/how-a-right-wing-movie-studio-enabled-the-harvey-weinstein-of-indie-film/feed/0Protests Continue In Cities Across The Country Saturday : NPRhttps://1buv.com/protests-continue-in-cities-across-the-country-saturday-npr/
https://1buv.com/protests-continue-in-cities-across-the-country-saturday-npr/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:56:05 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298412Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday in New York. Cities saw some of their biggest gatherings of the past two weeks on Saturday. Craig Ruttle/AP hide caption toggle caption Craig Ruttle/AP Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday in New York. Cities saw some of their biggest gatherings of the […]

Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday in New York. Cities saw some of their biggest gatherings of the past two weeks on Saturday.

Craig Ruttle/AP

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Protesters and activists walk across the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday in New York. Cities saw some of their biggest gatherings of the past two weeks on Saturday.

Craig Ruttle/AP

The flame ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis still burned bright in cities across the country Saturday as largely peaceful anti-police brutality and Black Lives Matter protests continued with some of their biggest crowds yet.

In addition to the massive crowds that gathered in Washington, protesters in cities from Philadelphia to San Francisco are calling for racial justice and pressuring local officials to defund police departments in the second weekend of demonstrations since Floyd’s death.

New York City

Protests sprawled across New York City Saturday as thousands gathered from Manhattan to Brooklyn to demand an end to police brutality.

One protest, called The March for Stolen Lives and Looted Dreams, marched more than 100 blocks from 110th & Central Park West to Washington Square Park, convening thousands to demand that Mayor Bill De Blasio defund the New York Police Department, according to a Facebook event page for the demonstration.

“Time after time, these cops get away with it for the most part, so we want some change,” one protester called Robel, who would only identify himself by his first name for fear of retaliation, told NPR.

Minneapolis

The city where George Floyd died at the hands of police saw another day of protests Saturday, as thousands gathered in a peaceful rally to demand the defunding of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar spoke at the rally, saying diversity training is not enough to erase systemic racism in policing.

“We’ve all seen what happens when good people of good conscience say, ‘Let’s invest in diversity training.’ Maybe if we teach them that just because I am a different color and a different gender, maybe they’ll treat me kinder,” Omar said. “Let’s try to explain our humanity and make them see us as dignified people. Maybe that will stop them from killing us.”

Sensitivity trainings and diversity aren’t enough.

We are done explaining our humanity, while more unarmed black bodies are killed in the streets or in their homes.

Also Saturday, health care providers in the Minneapolis “twin city” of St. Paul observed a socially distant sit-in to protest racial discrimination in health care, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia saw its largest protests yet Saturday, when thousands of demonstrators marched past various city landmarks in peaceful rallies against police brutality.

More than 14,000 responded to a Facebook event page for a march from the iconic Philadelphia Art Museum to City Hall organized by the city’s branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Organizers demanded that Mayor Jim Kenney and the city council defund the Philadelphia police and that Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw resign, according to the event description.

Those demands come after widespread backlash to videos of Philadelphia police unleashing tear gas on protesters cornered on a highway during a demonstration Monday, member station WHYY reported.

Both Police Commissioner Outlaw and Mayor Kenney kneeled with protesters at Saturday demonstrations, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, but the mayor has not called off the city’s curfew, which resumed Saturday night at 8 p.m. and will last until 6 a.m. Sunday morning.

This week has been humbling. It has shown me—someone who considers themselves to be progressive and an ally—that there is a great deal more for me to learn.

Demonstrators in Chicago gathered in the city’s Union Park for a rally against police brutality that led into a march on the city’s West Side, The Associated Press reported.

Estimates from police and organizers put the rally’s turnout between 20,000 and 30,000 people. Police said Saturday afternoon there had been no arrests at the peaceful protest, The Washington Post reported.

Demonstrators listen to a speech during the Chicago March for Justice in honor of George Floyd in Chicago Saturday.

Nam Y. Huh/AP

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Demonstrators listen to a speech during the Chicago March for Justice in honor of George Floyd in Chicago Saturday.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot had previously shut down parts of the city’s Lake Shore Drive to facilitate protests and set a 9 p.m. curfew for the city, the Chicago Tribune reported.

A man speaks into a megaphone while standing with others on the center divider as traffic is stopped on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Saturday.

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A man speaks into a megaphone while standing with others on the center divider as traffic is stopped on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Saturday.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Several Bay Area labor unions also joined to host a racial justice march called “Taking A Knee For Change” that convened in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, once home to the city’s football team, the 49ers. The march, though dedicated to the recently killed George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and and Ahmaud Arbery, was also an homage to the NFL racial justice protests started by then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, said organizers.

“We are taking a knee to amplify the voice of oppressed people just like Colin did,” said union member Derrick Boutte in a statement, according to member station KQED.

Smaller Towns & Cities

Though large cities have seen more consistent protests with greater turnout, peaceful demonstrations also continue in America’s smaller cities and towns.

More than one thousand protesters gathered in Saginaw, Mich., a city of less than 50,000 for a Black Lives Matter rally Saturday, according to MLive. Protests against Floyd’s death also convened today in Elizabethtown, Penn., a borough of fewer than 12,000 residents, PennLive reported. In Meridian, a small Mississippi city, NBC affiliate WLBT reported that hundreds joined a peaceful march against police brutality and racial injustice, holding signs and chanting, “I can’t breathe, breathe through me, justice and peace, we will see.”

According to a USA Today protest tracker, there have been demonstrations in response to George Floyd’s death in all 50 states.

]]>https://1buv.com/protests-continue-in-cities-across-the-country-saturday-npr/feed/0Crooked Manhattan DA Cy Vance Refuses to Prosecute Protest-Related Arrests “In the Interest of Justice”https://1buv.com/crooked-manhattan-da-cy-vance-refuses-to-prosecute-protest-related-arrests-in-the-interest-of-justice/
https://1buv.com/crooked-manhattan-da-cy-vance-refuses-to-prosecute-protest-related-arrests-in-the-interest-of-justice/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:50:20 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298408Crooked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. on Friday announced the DA’s office will not prosecute protest-related arrests “in the interest of justice.” Cy Vance has been working around the clock to get his hands on President Trump’s tax records, but he will not prosecute violent rioters in his city. New Yorkers against the lockdown […]

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. today announced the D.A.’s Office’s policy regarding arrests on charges of Unlawful Assembly and Disorderly Conduct during ongoing demonstrations against the use of excessive force and killing of George Floyd. Previously, the D.A.’s Office’s policy was to offer individuals charged with these low-level offenses an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, meaning their cases would be dismissed within six months. Under the new policy, the D.A.’s Office declines to prosecute these arrests in the interest of justice. The Office will also continue to evaluate and decline to prosecute other protest-related charges where appropriate.

“The prosecution of protestors charged with these low-level offenses undermines critical bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve. Days after the killing of George Floyd, our nation and our city are at a crossroads in our continuing endeavor to confront racism and systemic injustice wherever it exists. Our office has a moral imperative to enact public policies which assure all New Yorkers that in our justice system and our society, black lives matter and police violence is a crime. We commend the thousands of our fellow New Yorkers who have peacefully assembled to demand these achievable aims, and our door is open to any New Yorker who wishes to be heard.”

The D.A.’s Office’s policy is designed to minimize unnecessary interactions with the criminal justice system, reduce racial disparities and collateral consequences in low-level offense prosecutions, and enable the Office and court system to preserve resources for the prosecution of serious crimes. If evidence emerges that any individuals personally participated in violence against police officers, destruction, or looting, such individuals will be charged with appropriate crimes.

New York City was ravaged by rioters and looters for several days in a row.

High-end stores were looted and buildings were destroyed by violent left-wing terrorists.

Police were ran over and beaten during the George Floyd riots.

De Blasio refused to call in the National Guard and now Cy Vance is refusing to prosecute the criminals.

]]>https://1buv.com/crooked-manhattan-da-cy-vance-refuses-to-prosecute-protest-related-arrests-in-the-interest-of-justice/feed/0Rosenstein ‘Just Caved to the Swamp’ with 2017 Special Counsel Mueller Appointmenthttps://1buv.com/rosenstein-just-caved-to-the-swamp-with-2017-special-counsel-mueller-appointment/
https://1buv.com/rosenstein-just-caved-to-the-swamp-with-2017-special-counsel-mueller-appointment/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:40:04 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298405Saturday on Fox News Channel’s “Justice,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) reacted to former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s admission there was no sign of Russia collusion with the 2016 Trump presidential campaign during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier in the week. Jordan said he drew the conclusion Rosenstein had caved to the […]

Saturday on Fox News Channel’s “Justice,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) reacted to former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s admission there was no sign of Russia collusion with the 2016 Trump presidential campaign during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier in the week.

Jordan said he drew the conclusion Rosenstein had caved to the “swamp” with his appointment of Department of Justice special counsel Robert Mueller to head a probe into the alleged collusion.

“When Senator Graham asked him if there was anything there, he said, ‘No, there wasn’t,’” he said. “Yet, you had the number-two guy at the Justice Department, and frankly, at the time in the spring of 2017, the acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, name the special counsel, expand the scope of the special counsel, and also remember Rod Rosenstein signed one of the FISA renewals on Carter Page. So he did all that, and yet there was nothing there. And we all knew there was nothing there. And Jim Comey told us there was nothing there when we deposed him back in the last Congress in the Judiciary Committee. Yet they let all this happen and put our country through three years of what we lived through.”

“So, that’s the frustrating part, Judge,” Jordan continued. “I said this earlier, but I think Rod Rosenstein just caved to the swamp. I think he was afraid to stand up to where everyone in that town wanted to go. Remember, every Democrat wanted a special counsel to keep going after the president. Everyone in the media wanted to do it except people like you, Judge. And there were a bunch of Republicans who wanted to do it. And Rod Rosenstein let it happen.

]]>https://1buv.com/rosenstein-just-caved-to-the-swamp-with-2017-special-counsel-mueller-appointment/feed/0Not Just Retail: Hedge Funds Flood Into Stocks; Net Leverage Highest In Over Two Yearshttps://1buv.com/not-just-retail-hedge-funds-flood-into-stocks-net-leverage-highest-in-over-two-years/
https://1buv.com/not-just-retail-hedge-funds-flood-into-stocks-net-leverage-highest-in-over-two-years/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:30:24 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298392On Friday we officially entered the blow-off top phase of the current meltup: between a record surge in Nasdaq volume… … between a spike in equity call volumes to a decade high… … and a put-to-call ratio that plunged just shy of all time lows… … the message was clear: the moment of trader euphoria […]

… the message was clear: the moment of trader euphoria and buying from retail investors (who as we noted previously managed to lift bankrupt Hertz by 100% on record volumes earlier in the day) so many bulls have been saying is not here so just keep buying as retail froth is missing from the market. Well, it certainly isn’t missing any more, as “small traders are now full-bore bullish, on steroids” (thanks Fed).

This is stunning.

At the peak of speculative fervor in February, small traders bought to open 7.5 million call contracts.

This happened with hedge funds scrambling to cover even more shorts as the MSCI World Index increased +3.3%; as a result the GS Prime Brokerage Book was net bought driven by short covering outweighing long selling in a 2.4:1 ratio, confirming what Citi said recently that much if not all of the recent rally has been driven by short covering.

Digging into the flow data reveals that all regions were net bought led by Europe and North America.

North America was net bought driven by “risk off” flows – short covering and long selling. Europe’s net buying however was characterized by “bullish” flows – long buying and short covering.

At the sector level, funds again faded the rally in US Industrials even as cyclical stocks soared. The sector was the second most net sold in the US driven by “risk off” flows of long selling outweighing short covering in a 1.2:1 ratio. The sector’s weight vs. the S&P 500 fell -0.7 pts to -1.5% U/W, the lowest level since Sept 2017 according to Goldman’s prime desk.

While seven out of the eleven Industries were net sold driven by Aerospace & Defense and Construction & Engineering, Airlines and Commercial Svcs & Supplies were the most net bought industries (so it wasn’t just retail flooding in JETS).

Focusing on the short squeeze, single stock shorts decreased by -2.1% as nine out of eleven sectors were covered led by Consumer Discretionary and Industrials. Utilities and Real Estate were the only shorted sectors. Consumer Discretionary flows diverged – inflows were led by Diversified Consumer Svcs, while outflows were led by Leisure Profucts.

US ETF shorts decreased -2.6% and currently make up 16.5% of the US Short Book (vs. 16.9% last week).

ETF short outflows were driven by Fixed Income, US Listed, and Small and Large Cap ETFs.

Finally, at the single stock level, some of the most prominent hedge fund rotations were the following:

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling made waves on Saturday after publicly defending the concept of biological sex — a scientific truth largely rejected by the left — explaining to her 14.5 million Twitter followers that it “isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives,” Rowling said. “It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.

Rowling faced fierce backlash from several high-profile progressive counterparts. Many of them accused her of hating transgender people and advancing “transphobia” after she shared an article titled “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate,” offering her own commentary.

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she asked.

‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?

it’s telling she’d choose the moment we’re in right now – as the world grapples with a pandemic, economic disruption, and thousands of protests demanding justice for Black lives – to fuel the flames of transphobia

She went out of her way to center the narrative around herself. Posts inflammatory comments, wait a couple hours, then claim victimhood because she’s being called names, all the while erasing trans women and non-binary persons.

As a gay man, let me just state for the record that “if sex isn’t real there’s no same-sex attraction” is absolute bullshit, and shame on J.K. Rowling for trying to use gay people as a wedge to spread transphobic propaganda. pic.twitter.com/RaQtYIvkYP

JK Rowling is showing herself for who she’s been the whole time – a feminism-appropriating radical transphobe. The fact she picked Pride to expel her hateful sludge once again only underscores her hatred.

Oh hell no. TERF lesbians are the worst lesbians. How idiotic do you have to be, how ignorant of our history, to espouse the argument once used AGAINST you? That lesbians are not women. REMEMBER THAT ONE? https://t.co/a4GmPWDsDh

“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense,” she said.

“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so,” she continued, remaining steadfast in her original position.

I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.

I’ve spent much of the last three years reading books, blogs and scientific papers by trans people, medics and gender specialists. I know exactly what the distinction is. Never assume that because someone thinks differently, they have no knowledge. https://t.co/5kxnH3mZPf

This is far from the first time the popular author has come under fire from LGBT activists. Last year, they issued their collective grievance over the lack of LGBT representation in her novels.

She also stirred up controversy in December for publicly supporting Maya Forstater after a U.K. employment judge “allowed an employer to fire” her for “saying a man’s claim to have an opposite-sex ‘gender’ does not actually change his biological sex.”

Dress however you please.Call yourself whatever you like.Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya#ThisIsNotADrill

Many progressive LGBT activists groups — from the HRC to GLAAD — greatly dismiss the scientific reality of biological sex, reducing it to that of a social construct and placing a greater emphasis on gender identity, which they contend remains on a spectrum. Those orientations and identities can range from non-binary, to pansexual, to two-spirit.

A New York City street sign put up last year featured a list of the questionable sexual orientations, sparking praise from Chelsea Clinton.

]]>https://1buv.com/it-isnt-hate-to-speak-the-truth/feed/0Grunyons Episode 2 – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/grunyons-episode-2-newswars/
https://1buv.com/grunyons-episode-2-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:10:24 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298385The magical fun-loving Grunyons are back with another informative episode about a new kind of plague sweeping this nation: control-freak “Karens.” Meet Karen Karenofsky, the host of Karen Says. Fresh off quarantine, Karen is about to get a lesson in privilege, looting and MSM fables. Mirror: Also check out Grunyon’s Episode 1 about Bill & […]

]]>https://1buv.com/grunyons-episode-2-newswars/feed/0‘The Saker’: The Systemic Collapse Of The US Society Has Begunhttps://1buv.com/the-saker-the-systemic-collapse-of-the-us-society-has-begun/
https://1buv.com/the-saker-the-systemic-collapse-of-the-us-society-has-begun/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:07:42 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298377Authored by ‘The Saker’, I have lived in the United States for a total of 24 years and I have witnessed many crises over this long period, but what is taking place today is truly unique and much more serious than any previous crisis I can recall. And to explain my point, I would like […]

I have lived in the United States for a total of 24 years and I have witnessed many crises over this long period, but what is taking place today is truly unique and much more serious than any previous crisis I can recall.

And to explain my point, I would like to begin by saying what I believe the riots we are seeing taking place in hundreds of US cities are not about. They are not about:

Racism or “White privilege”

Police violence

Social alienation and despair

Poverty

Trump

The liberals pouring fuel on social fires

The infighting of the US elites/deep state

They are not about any of these because they encompass all of these issues, and more.

It is important to always keep in mind the distinction between the concepts of “cause” and “pretext”. And while it is true that all the factors listed above are real (at least to some degree, and without looking at the distinction between cause and effect), none of them are the true cause of what we are witnessing. At most, the above are pretexts, triggers if you want, but the real cause of what is taking place today is the systemic collapse of the US society.

The next thing which we must also keep in mind is that evidence of correlation is not evidence of causality. Take, for example, this article from CNN entitled “US black-white inequality in 6 stark charts” which completely conflates the two concepts and which includes the following sentence (stress added) “Those disparities exist because of a long history of policies that excluded and exploited black Americans, said Valerie Wilson, director of the program on race, ethnicity and the economy at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning group.” The word “because” clearly point to a causality, yet absolutely nothing in the article or data support this. The US media is chock-full of such conflations of correlation and causality, yet it is rarely denounced.

For a society, any society, to function a number of factors that make up the social contract need to be present. The exact list that make up these factors will depend on each individual country, but they would typically include some kind of social consensus, the acceptance by most people of the legitimacy of the government and its institutions, often a unifying ideology or, at least, common values, the presence of a stable middle-class, the reasonable hope for a functioning “social life”, educational institutions etc. Finally, and cynically, it always helps the ruling elites if they can provide enough circuses (TV) and bread (food) to most citizens. This is even true of so-called authoritarian/totalitarian societies which, contrary to the liberal myth, typically do enjoy the support of a large segment of the population (if only because these regimes are often more capable of providing for the basic needs of society).

Right now, I would argue that the US government has almost completely lost its ability to deliver any of those factors, or act to repair the broken social contract. In fact, what we can observe is the exact opposite: the US society is highly divided, as is the US ruling class (which is even more important). Not only that, but ever since the election of Trump, all the vociferous Trump-haters have been undermining the legitimacy not only of Trump himself, but of the political system which made his election possible. I have been saying that for years: by saying “not my President” the Trump-haters have de-legitimized not only Trump personally, but also de-legitimized the Executive branch as such.

This is an absolutely amazing phenomenon: while for almost four years Trump has been destroying the US Empire externally, Trump-haters spent the same four years destroying the US from the inside! If we look past the (largely fictional) differences between the Republicrats and the Demolicans we can see that they operate like a demolition tag-team of sorts and while they hate each other with a passion, they both contribute to bringing down both the Empire and the United States. For anybody who has studied dialectics this would be very predictable but, alas, dialectics are not taught anymore, hence the stunned “deer in the headlights” look on the faces of most people today.

Finally, it is pretty clear that for all its disclaimers about supporting only the “peaceful protestors” and its condemnation of the “out of town looters”, most of the US media (as well as the alt media) is completely unable to give a moral/ethical evaluation of what is taking place. What I mean by this is the following:

By repeating mantras about how “Black anger is legitimate” the US liberal media is basically placing a seal of approval on the violence and looting. After all, if Black “anger” is legitimate, and if “White privilege” is real, then it is quite “understandable” that this “anger” “sometimes” “boils over” and leads to “regrettable” “excesses”. Just take a look at this image of Biden kneeling down before a Black demonstrator:

Of course, Biden and his supporters will claim that Biden was only kneeling before a cute little girl and her peacefully protesting father, but when combined with the attacks against Trump’s “law and order” rhetoric by Biden and his supporters (including four former US Presidents!), I believe that these kinds of photo-ops are sending a very different message: keep “protesting” as we are on your side which, coming from a guy like Biden, the ultimate symbol of the 1%er elites and a perfect example of “White privilege”, just goes to show that the hypocrisy of US politicians really knows no bounds or limits.

I have to note here that these riots also represent a potential danger for both factions of the Uniparty in power: for the Demolicans the riots probably represent the very last chance to prevent a Trump-reelection, but if the Demolicans are too obvious in support of the riots, then it could backfire against them and turn all the frightened “law and order” types against them. But if they do not support the riots, then the Demolicans will alienate their core constituency (a hodgepodge of various “minorities” pushing their narrow identity-politics agenda). Likewise, for Trump this is an opportunity to show his “law and order” credentials and promise the White people and the relatively fewer Blacks of his base that he will protect them. However, if he is too direct about this and if Trump orders what might be seen by many as unfair or excessive force (of which there has been a lot almost everywhere), then he risks pushing many moderate Republicrats over the edge and side with the Demolicans (or, at least, withhold their vote). In other words, both factions of the Uniparty feel that the riots are both an opportunity and a threat and this is why neither faction can come out and speak truthfully about the real causes of the riots.

The exact same message of weakness and even submissive impotence is, I believe, sent every time a cop kneels when confronting even peaceful demonstrators like on this photo. While this might be intended as a message of compassion, and maybe even an apology, the only thing the rioters will see here is a powerful sign of surrender of the local authorities and I find that extremely dangerous.

Yes, there are plenty of racist, violent and otherwise incompetent cops in the USA. And yes, many of my Black friends reported feeling singled out and treated rudely by cops. But having extensively traveled the world, I want to assure you that the US most definitely does not have the worst cops out there. In fact, I believe that most US cops are decent people. Much more importantly, these cops are the “thin blue line” which protects society against criminals. And while I do believe that US policemen ought to be better educated, better trained, better led and better supervised, I also realize that there is also no short term alternative to them. It is all very fine to dream about educated, peaceful and non-racist cops, but if you remove the existing police force from the equation, there are no other alternatives (the national guard or the regular armed forces do not qualify and don’t have the correct training to deal with civilians anyway), especially in those states which have successfully killed the 2nd Amendment by means of what I call “death by a thousand regulatory cuts” (including NY and NJ).

Then there is what Solzhenitsyn called the “decline of courage” in the West: the vast majority US politicians have basically lost the ability to criticize Blacks, even when it is quite obvious that many of the current problems of the Black population of the US are created by Blacks themselves: I think of the truly vulgar, obscene and overall disgusting “rap culture” with which most Black youth are now “educated” in since early childhood or how many Black youth have been brainwashed into considering gang members and street prostitutes as the measure of what “looking cool” looks like in terms of clothes, language and overall behavior. I believe that it is pretty obvious to any person who lived in the US that Blacks are very often (mostly?) the cause of their own misery: I can tell you that my Jamaican and Sub-Saharan African friends (who live in the USA) have told me many times that a) they think that US Blacks have opportunities which they would never have in Africa or Jamaica and that b) local Blacks often resent Africans and Jamaican Blacks because the latter do so much better in the US society. I can also testify to the fact that I have seen a lot of anti-Latino feelings from US Blacks. As for how Blacks often feel about Asians, all we need to do is remember the LA riots in 1992. Finally, I do believe that many (most?) people in the US know that the strongest and most frequent form of racism in the US will be anti-White, especially from politically engaged Blacks.

To those of you who live outside the USA, I would recommend this simple thought experiment: just take 20-30 minutes and watch the footage of BOTH the “peaceful protests” AND “the violent riots” and look carefully not only at what the folks you see in the footage are wearing, but also how they speak, how they act, what they say and how they say it and ask yourself a simple question: would you want to hire any of these guys and pay them a decent salary? I very much doubt that many of you would. Frankly, most of these rioters are unhirable, and “racism” has nothing to do with this.

The fact is that what is sometimes called the “MTV culture” is, in reality, nothing else than a systematic glorification of criminal mayhem. Forget about rap hits like the famous “Fuk Da Police” or “Kill d’White People“, I would argue that 99% of rap is a glorification of all the worst problems of Black communities in the US (drugs, violence, promiscuous sex, objectification of women, alcoholism, glorification of criminal behavior in the streets and in prisons, etc.). Yet most US politicians seem to be paralyzed and feel the need to pretend like they are absolutely charmed by this so-called “Black culture”. But it is even worse than that.

Combine an emasculated ruling polity which does not dare to call a stone a stone and which promotes a (pretend) “culture” which glorifies violence and hatred against all non-criminals, including law abiding Black who are called “Toms” and who are also singled out as in this “beautiful” rap which includes the following “verses”: “Then you got niggas that’s blacker then the night, Running around town saying their best friends are white, Niggas like that are gonna hang up from a tree, And burn them up alive and let everybody see” (check out this “beautiful” rap here and for the full lyrics, a truly fascinating read, here). Next, throw in a completely dysfunctional state which is owned and operated by a tiny gang of obscenely rich narcissistic bastards (of all races, very much including Blacks), add to it a total absence of any real social opportunities, then toss in the COVID pandemic and the worst recession in US history with record high levels of unemployment even among those who would be employable (folks with dropped down pants, excessive tattoos, past felony convictions and a comprehensively non-professional attitude would not even get a job even if the economy was booming). Then, you get a relatively localized “spark” (like the murder of George Floyd by a gang of arrogant imbeciles in uniform) to start a fire which will instantly spread throughout the entire country, especially since there are so many other groups besides Blacks who want to “piggyback” their personal agenda on top of the one of Black Lives Matter or Antifa (I am, of course, referring to the real cornucopia of Trump-haters which never accepted his election).

Conclusion 1: this is not the US version of the Gilets Jaunes!

Some might be tempted to say that what we are seeing in the US is a US version of the French Gilets Jaunes. I assure you that it is not. For one thing, the Gilets Jaunes had a pretty clear political program. US rioters do not. Next, the Gilets Jaunes were mostly peaceful and much of the violence was instigated by the French police forces (including the use of fake rioters). While there are definitely peaceful protesters in the USA, neither BLM or AntiFa have truly denounced the riots (and why should they when the US media and politicians don’t have the courage to do that either?). Finally, the French ruling classes and media did not show the kind of “understanding” of the riots which did take place although Macron did pose with two “gangstas” in an effort to look “cool” (which failed):

Not only Biden, in Europe too…

Conclusion 2: this is not a revolution or a civil war

Some are now fantasizing that what we are witnessing today is either a revolution or a civil war. I believe that this is neither.

For a revolution to take place there must be a force capable of changing not the person(s) in power, but fundamentally change the regime, the polity, itself and replacing it with another one. Declaring that “Black lives matter” or looting stores or even demanding that the police be defunded, does not have this kind of potential capability.

For a civil war to take place you need at least two sides, each with a clearly identifiable political agenda. Since the real power in the US is hidden from the public awareness, there is no potential for a “the people vs the rulers” kind of civil war in the US. A “Right/Conservative vs Left/Liberal” civil war is also not possible, because both the US Right and the US Left are, in reality controlled by a deep state which is neither liberal nor conservative. Finally, a “rematch” between North and South is not possible either because the modern US is not really split along North/South lines anymore. In terms of geography, there is somewhat of a “Big cities vs rural USA” split, but it takes place in both the north and the south of the country. Instead, what we do observe is a social breakup of the US into “zones” some of which will be doing much better than others (big cities with a strong Black population fare the worst, mostly White small towns fare best; that is even true within the same state). In some of these zones, we will see more of this kind of acts of self-protection:

This kind of confrontations, even if they are not violent, are yet another illustration of the state being simply unable to take charge and protect the people.

Conclusion 3: this is an insurrection which has initiated the systemic collapse of the US society

I call what is happening today an insurrection: a violent revolt or rebellion against the authorities as such. When you burn a police precinct you do not “protest” against the actions of a few cops, no, what you are doing is expelling the cops from your neighborhood (I know that personally. In Argentina I lived in a suburb of Buenos-Aires in which the police station was attacked so often that it closed and was never rebuilt). And since in a civilized society the state should have the monopoly on the (legal) use of force, you are basically rejecting the authority and legitimacy of the state which operates the police force. This insurrection is most unlikely to remove Trump from office (hence it is not a coup or a revolution), but the anti-Trump faction of the ruling elites have now clearly adopted the strategy of “worse is better” simply because they realize that these riots are probably their last chance to blame it all on Trump (and Russia, why not?!) and maybe, just maybe, defeat him in November.

Right now all we see can only be called a mob-rule (technically referred to as an “ochlocracy“). But mobs, no matter how violent, rarely succeed in achieving tangible political results as they act ‘against something’ and not ‘for something’. This is why the real (behind-the-scenes) ruling classes need to instrumentalize this mob-induced insurrection to their political advantage. So far, I would say that neither the Demolicans nor the Republicrats have succeeded in this. But there is a very long and potentially extremely dangerous summer ahead and this might well change.

Irrespective of whether either faction will succeed in instrumentalizing the riots, what we are seeing today is a systemic collapse of the US society. That is not to say that the US will disappear, not at all. But just like it took the Soviet Union a decade or more to fully collapse (roughly from 1983-1993), it will take the US many years to fully crash. And just like a New Russia eventually began taking form in 1999, there will be a New US coming out of the current collapse. Total and final collapses are very rare, mostly they just initiate a lengthy and potentially very dangerous transformation process, the outcome of which is almost impossible to predict.

However, just as the Russian people had to stop kidding themselves with silly dreams about “democracy” and had to tackle the real problems of Russia, so will the people of the US have to find the courage to deal with their real problems, frontally and deliberately. If they fail to do that, the country will most likely simple further disintegrate into numerous and mutually hostile entities.

After illegally occupying two-thirds Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in 1947, India once again undertook an illegal step on August 5, 2019 to integrate disputed IOK without any provocation by Pakistan and bifurcated it into two Indian Union Territories namely J&K and Ladakh. It provoked both Pakistan and China.

The stand-off between China and India in the Himalaya region and confrontation between India and Pakistan in J&K have the potential to escalate into a bigger conflict between three nuclear armed neighbors, particularly when a clash suits USA and Israel.

Notwithstanding the seriousness of the ongoing crisis between the two nuclear powers, chances of the situation catapulting into a bigger conflict are minimal. The overall socio-politico-economic conditions of both the competing rivals are far from ideal and both are beset with host of external and internal challenges and cannot afford to go to mutually destructive war.

India’s ambitions

Galvanized by USA and Israel, India desires permanent membership in UNSC, membership of nuclear suppliers group, become policeman of Indo-Pacific region, convert Indian Ocean into India’s lake, establish Akhand Bharat and become a global power.

India’s constraints

India is faced with internal security challenges such as dozens of insurgencies in all parts including seven states in northeast, agitations by suppressed minorities, simmering lavas of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), Khalistan and Naxalites movements, corona virus, declining economy and popularity of Modi, and tensions with China, Pakistan and Nepal.

India has border disputes with all South Asian neighbors.

Besides China and Pakistan, the possible future enemies of India could be Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

China’s ambitions

Given the favorable turn of events, China may like to fulfil the dream of Mao Tse Tung of connecting the five fingers: Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh with the palm of Tibet.

OBOR will help China in becoming the leading economic power of the world. Under Xi Jinping, China is fast developing its military muscles with a view to emerge as the dominant power in Indo-Pacific region and to counter Indo-US plans to dominate Indian Ocean.

China’s constraints

China is faced with Uyghur movement in Xingjian, threats from USA and its allies around South China Sea, Indo-US-Israel nexus, Hong Kong crisis, Taiwan issue, Covid-19 and declining GDP.

Although Covid-19 virus has been controlled by China, it has still not invented a vaccine or eliminated the virus.

China’s gains

China launched three pronged attacks into Galwan River Valley and Pangong Tso on 5 May in Ladakh and Naka Lu in Northern Sikkim on 9 May after being provoked by India and getting convinced it was being outmaneuvered.

The scale and magnitude of China’s May incursions are much higher in intensity and intent than any other previous intrusions or standoffs from 1967 onwards.

China has by and large achieved its military objectives and not only secured its vulnerabilities as well as CPEC which is the flagship of OBOR, but has also forestalled ground threat to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) by threatening the sole supply route of India through Indus/ Shyok Valley as well as posed caution to Indian airfield at Leh.

PLA has achieved a strategic edge over Indian military in the northern mountainous region and gained superiority of strategic orientation.

Other than India, China has no dispute with any South Asian country or its neighbors and as such stands on a higher moral ground and has enlarged its influence the world over due to its policy of peace and friendship.

What China should do now?

What it must be doing at present is to consolidate its gains in the newly acquired areas, and protect its vulnerable spots elsewhere.

Having done its job perfectly, China can now afford to sleep over the problem and let India to react.

USA’s ambitions

In collusion with the West, Israel, India, Japan and Australia, maintain hegemony over the world for 100 years by hook or crook.

USA’s fragilities

Due to its unjust and interventionist policies, USA has made too many enemies and is getting isolated.

China combined with Russia pose a credible threat to the US unilateralism and hegemonic designs.

China, which is an ascending power, will remain number one enemy of USA, which is a declining power.

Trump instead of coming to the rescue of India in its testing times offered to mediate, which was promptly declined by Jinping. In other words, the US has lived up to its tradition of leaving an ally in a lurch at a time when it was needed the most.

Trump is more concerned about coming elections than poking his nose in someone else’s war.

Trump is too preoccupied in tackling the external challenges of which he has made a mess of, and in dealing with wobbly home front. Whatever respect and authority he had has been soiled by the latest crisis in USA in the wake of murder of George Floyd, which has triggered violent protests and there is mini civil warlike situation. White and Black divide has deepened and has become dangerous.

Implications of China’s offensive

China’s ingress in Ladakh has imbalanced India, and India’s plans to grab GB have gone for a six.

India can neither hit back to push out PLA troops from occupied territories, since it knows it lacks the will and capacity and for sure it will again cut a sorry figure. Nor it can afford to fiddle its thumbs, since politically inaction will be suicidal.

Muted response of India to China’s aggression in Ladakh and Sikkim regions is starkly different to its jingoist and belligerent stance against Pakistan in the aftermath of Pulwama incident last year.

2019 and 2020 are bad years for India. It has suffered series of humiliations at the hands of Pakistan and now China.

India was taken by surprise both at tactical and strategic levels in 1962, August 1965, May 1999 and now in May 2020.

With prestige of Indian military rolled in the dust, future of Modi, Ajit Doval, Rajnath Singh, Gen Bipen and Gen Naravane have become dark since there are loud calls in India for their ouster on account of intelligence failure and diffident approach.

Indian military lacks requisite capacity and capability to go to war with China, let alone with China and Pakistan combined.

Much that India would like to avenge the humiliation by giving a befitting response, however, given the weak state of preparedness of Northern Command and low morale of its troops, and above all constricted nature of Galwan River Valley dominated by PLA troops, possibility of counter offensive to evict PLA forces and regain lost space is ruled out.

India has inducted two additional brigades in Ladakh region. If more troops are pulled out from the eastern theatre and from the Kashmir Valley, it will be at the cost of losing balance in the two areas and might tempt Pakistan and Kashmiri Mujahideen to reactivate armed resistance in the Valley and carryout hit and run attacks on the 950,000 Indian forces bottled up in saturated space.

India has been trying to strategically encircle Pakistan since 2002. History has gone full circle and today India finds itself encircled and trapped by China, Pakistan and Kashmiri Mujahideen from within IOK.

Indian military’s concept of limited war in a limited area against Pakistan is wonky since Pakistan lacking strategic depth will take any ingress by India howsoever limited as total war and will keep all options open to teach the aggressor a lesson of its life. In this regard, DG ISPR has cautioned India not to play with fire and made it clear that any aggression will be responded with full might.

India’s possible responses

What India can do?

What India can possibly do to restore its tarnished image is to plan a riposte to grab some Chinese territory across the LAC elsewhere which is lightly held. Indian media is quite capable of sensationalizing a small gain and blowing it up as a big daring venture. Such an adventure is possible but will make no impact on China if the lost tactical space is devoid of strategic value and cannot be used as a bargaining chip. Therefore, this option is less likely since failure of attack (s) would rub more salt in the injured pride of India.

What India will be doing at the moment is to prevent further losses and to guard against possible two-front war with China and Pakistan.

India must also be exploring avenues other than military option to retrieve its territories and restore status quo through political and diplomatic means.

Most feasible course of action for India is the diplomatic route. But success of this option is dependent upon give and take. Modi will have to climb down from the high horse he has been riding since June 2014 and bring a change in his radicalism and fascism.

Racist Modi’s record breaking human rights against Kashmiris and minorities in India, his despotism and craze for Hindutva have exposed the ugly face of India and its high image has been smeared. No tears were shed when India was thrashed by Pakistan last year and now by China since it is being seen as a cunning and hungry wolf. This change of perceptions has left India with no moral ground to approach the UN since it has troubles with all its neighbors, and is the biggest violator of UN resolutions on Kashmir.

While juvenile offer of Trump was rejected by China, India’s request for mediation to Russia has been regretted by Putin.

However, what is possible in immediate timeframe to dilute the anger of people of India and balm its wounds is to step up pressure on soft Pakistan and the besieged Kashmiris. As starters, two Pakistani diplomats in Delhi were lifted and tortured. In IOK, 13 Kashmiris were gunned down in a single day on 1 June. Indian media is playing up a story that Bhasha dam will inundate archeological sites of Buddhists in GB. Eight quadcopters trespassed the LoC in quick succession for espionage and all were shot down by Pak troops.

Next India may launch a false flag operation to justify its multiple incursions into AJK.

Making an assessment that soon the base of operation in Afghanistan will become redundant, India might be trying to strengthen the presence of RAW in Iran to make it the next base for launching covert operations in Baluchistan, Makran seacoast and Karachi.

India may also take the extreme step of abrogating Indus Water Treaty and blocking water.

Indian Navy in collusion with US Navy might carryout naval buildup in Arabian Sea to make Indian Ocean turbulent with a view to block Pakistan sea-trade as well as to threaten CPEC from that end. In this hypothesis, US, Israel, India military bases at Dokum in Gulf of Oman will be activated. Iran’s role, which has defence and strategic treaties with India and has given technical control of Chahbahar Port to India, will be crucial.

Learning lessons from its debacles in 1962 in NEFA, in Doklam in 2017, and the recent one, Indian higher military command might revisit the deployment plan of its strike formations, 80% of which are poised against Pakistan. There is a possibility of shifting more forces from east to north.

Pakistan’s responses

Pakistan fought India in 1948 war in J&K, Rann of Katch conflict in April 1965, the 1965 War and 1971 War, 1986-87 Brass-tacks faceoff, 1990/91 standoff in Kashmir, 1999 Drass-Kargil conflict, 2002 confrontation, and faced 18 year RAW sponsored covert war. Except for the 1971, which was an international conspiracy, Pakistan had an edge over six times bigger India. After the peace deal with India in 2004, Pakistan adopted a defensive posture and a policy of appeasement which has proven detrimental for Pakistan.

Pakistan’s lost opportunities

In 1948, Pakistan agreed to India’s proposal of ceasefire at a time when the pendulum had started to swing in Pakistan’s favor. The single supply route through Samba-Kathua was susceptible to interdiction and Maj Gen Akbar had made plans for the same. Had Indian forces in IOK not become outstretched and vulnerable, Nehru wouldn’t have begged UN for ceasefire.

China had nudged Pakistan to settle its Kashmir dispute with India by taking advantage of Indian military’s precarious situation in the Himalayas in 1962. However, Ayub Khan was duped by US President and UK PM, convincing him that a neutral stance by Pakistan would help in resolution of the dispute through dialogue.

Operation Gibraltar in August 1965 didn’t succeed since Kashmiris had not been prepared and motivated to start an armed uprising. They disclosed the hideouts of infiltrators.

Mid-stream change of command during Operation Grand Slam on 2nd Sept resulting in loss of vital 36 hours and change of objectives handicapped attacking troops to reach Akhnur despite being within grasping reach.

Drass-Kargil maneuver in Ladakh in 1999 was tactically brilliant which was in a position to sever Srinagar-Leh Highway and had floored the Indian military might, but it failed to deliver since strategic implications had not been taken into consideration. Failing to evict the intruders, India had to beseech US and G-8 to force Pakistan to vacate the captured territories.

Armed uprising in Kashmir Valley had peaked in 2001/03 and demoralization had set-in among the Indian soldiers. The situation was not cashed in by Pakistan under the fear of losing the goodwill of USA and getting declared a terrorist state. Steps taken by Pakistan to mollify India gave a free hand to India to not only take the steam out of freedom movement but also launch covert operations from Afghanistan at a massive scale.

Post 5 August 2019 situation

In spite of the fact that India is threatening to seize AJK-GB in 10 hours, and break Pakistan into four parts, and make Pakistan dependent upon India for every drop of water, Pakistan has been behaving cautiously except for making some noise on the diplomatic front. It has so far not initiated any covert or overt step to provide relief to the marooned Kashmiris or to force India to restore old status quo in IOK. Its inaction emboldened India to introduce new domicile laws in IOK aimed at converting Muslim majority into minority and to threaten to invade AJK-GB.

Pakistan’s policy of dithering and restraint is out of sync with aggressive policy of India.

Banking on diplomacy and dialogue for the settlement of 72 years old dispute is naïve and unwise. Diplomacy has seldom resolved disputes.

Weak economy, huge disparity in conventional strength and divided home front are the biggest handicaps coming in the way of taking bold action against India. History has proved that victories have been scored by smaller nations/resistance forces in spite of the handicaps.

Intending to fight India in AJK-GB rather than in IOK is a self-defeating policy.

China’s bold and imaginative military action against India in Ladakh-Sikkim regions has not only unnerved India and forestalled its offensive designs against Pakistan, but has also once again provided a striking opportunity to Pakistan to exploit India’s vulnerability to its advantage.

Options for Pakistan

This time with China in the game, Kashmiris fully charged up, thoroughly battle inoculated army, and full spectrum nuclear deterrence, it is an altogether different scenario and has opened several options which are enumerated below:

Activate the youth in AJK, impart military training to them and establish J&K govt-in-exile at Muzaffarabad.

Ask the UN to conduct partial plebiscite in AJK-GB, and make GB 5th province of Pakistan.

Keep the Kashmir focused Jihadi forces in reserve and launch them when the situation gets favorable.

Carryout troop mobilization along the eastern border as India had done in 2002 and 2008, while taking Afghan Taliban into confidence to take care of our western and southwestern borders with Afghanistan and thus pose two directional threat to India.

Make a plan to destroy Banihal Pass and interdict alternative route covertly to cut Indian forces in IOK from rest of India.

Discreetly energize Khalistan movement and Sikhs in Jammu.

In league with China, elbow Nepal to threaten soft belly of Central India and force it to deploy troops along Indo-Nepal border.

Shake-up the UN and press it to resolve the oldest dispute to avoid a nuclear war.

Maximize pressure on India through international community and UN to stop brutalities in IOK, end the lockdown, restore old status of IOK and then settle the dispute based on UN resolutions.

Implications of above.

It will benefit China, bleed Indian forces a bit, but will not change IOK’s status quo.

Pakistan will come under added pressure of the US, West and UN and charged with abetment of terrorism.

It will give an excuse to India to launch offensive in AJK with view to seize important bulge/salient.

Pak-China double pincer

While activating AJK as an operational base and triggering armed insurgency in IOK, maintaining defensive balance on ground, air and sea, and taking advantage of China’s gains against India in the north, launch another Kargil like operation across the LoC in Ladakh which is the only place where armies of China and Pakistan can collude to cut the road leading to Leh, and isolate Siachin Glacier. Or else, launch another Operation Grand Slam directed towards Akhnur-Rajauri.

Both maneuvers have germs of success and each one can put India in a nut cracker situation and force it to settle the dispute in accordance with wishes of Kashmiris.

Offensive defence

If the limitations of tangible factors and economic resources impel Pakistan to maintain defensive strategy, in that case while maintaining effective defensive balance along the eastern border, an imaginative offensive defensive response should be worked out to not only push back the enemy attacks in AJK, but also cause maximum attrition to the attackers. Having blunted the attacks, launch multiple counter attacks on pre-selected objectives across the LoC, the capture of which should remove our vulnerabilities and help in improving our defensive posture.

The PAF should strive to maintain local air superiority in areas of conflict, and Pak Navy should guard the seacoast and harbors. Foreign office should play its role to keep southern and northwestern borders neutral, or else the Taliban should be co-opted to help in providing security along Afghan border. Kashmiri Mujahideen to threaten/interdict Northern Command rear areas and lines of communications.

Diplomatic pressure

Taking advantage of India’s dilemma, both Pakistan and China should maximize pressure on India to restore status quo in IOK and force Modi to sit on negotiating table to settle disputes with both countries. Using the good offices of Beijing, Moscow and Ankara should be co-opted in this diplomatic effort.

Weakest options

Remain alert, strengthen defenses along LoC, LAC and Working Boundary, and wait for India to attack AJK-GB to give a befitting response.

Wait and see policy and give diplomacy a chance.

Wait for economic improvement and political stabilization before going for an offensive action.

Look toward Trump and the UNO, hand maiden of USA, for resolution of Kashmir dispute.

Pray for the divine help or for Modi for a change of heart.

Pin hopes on China to free IOK from clutches of India.

Note: All these options suit India, since these are defensive, weak-willed and amount to playing the Indian game and letting it consolidate its gains in IOK and implement its next phase of reducing the majority of Kashmiri Muslims into minority through new domicile laws followed by genocide. Hence least desirable. History has labeled Gen Yahya Khan responsible for the truncation of Pakistan in 1971. At that time Pakistan was isolated and devoid of nuclear power and was cut to size under an international conspiracy which even Napoleon Bonaparte or Julius Caesar couldn’t have prevented. This time things are quite different and favorable. Economics, tangible factors and risks should not become handicaps. It is just cause, will to fight, and full faith in Allah which counts. 9 million Kashmiris locked down for ten months are expectantly looking towards Pakistan to free them from the clutches of wolves. History has given a chance to Imran Khan and Gen Qamar Bajwa to get their names recorded in history books in golden words or get denigrated. Pakistan’s jugular vein has already been clutched by India and it is time to respond and free it.

Concluded

The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran, former Defence Attaché’ and Dean of Corps of Military Attaches’ in Cairo, defence & security analyst, international columnist, author of five books, Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Director Measac Research Center, Member CWC PESS and of Veterans Think Tank, and Member Council TJP. [email protected]

Brig. General Asif Haroon Raja a Member Board of Advisors Opinion Maker is Staff College and Armed Forces WarCoursequalified holds MSc war studies degree; a second generation officer, he fought the epic battle of Hilli in northwest East Bengal during 1971 war, in which Maj M. Akram received Nishan-e-Haider posthumously. He served as Directing Staff Command & Staff College, Defence Attaché Egypt, and Sudan and Dean of Corps of Military Attaches in Cairo. He commanded the heaviest brigade in Kashmir. He is lingual and speaks English, Pashto and Punjabi fluently. He is author of books titled ‘Battle of Hilli’, ‘1948, 1965 & 1971 Kashmir Battles and Freedom Struggle’, ‘Muhammad bin Qasim to Gen Musharraf’, Roots of 1971 Tragedy’; has written a number of motivational pamphlets. Draft of his next book ‘Tangled Knot of Kashmir’ is ready. He is a defense analyst and columnist and writes articles on security, defense and political matters for numerous international/national publications.

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]]>https://1buv.com/indo-pakistan-indo-china-flareup-part-3-veterans-today/feed/0WATCH protesters scatter in PANIC in Seattle after ignoring police orders — RT USA Newshttps://1buv.com/watch-protesters-scatter-in-panic-in-seattle-after-ignoring-police-orders-rt-usa-news/
https://1buv.com/watch-protesters-scatter-in-panic-in-seattle-after-ignoring-police-orders-rt-usa-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 04:00:43 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298369Officers in Seattle, Washington used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of protesters after repeatedly warning them to stop moving a barricade towards the police line. There were unconfirmed reports of tear gas use as well. Videos from a rally on Pike Avenue and 11th Street show explosions and smoke scattering the protesters around 8 […]

Officers in Seattle, Washington used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of protesters after repeatedly warning them to stop moving a barricade towards the police line. There were unconfirmed reports of tear gas use as well.

Videos from a rally on Pike Avenue and 11th Street show explosions and smoke scattering the protesters around 8 pm local time, along with what some claimed was tear gas.

Police had previously put on gas masks, according to Simone Del Rosario, a reporter with the local TV station KCPQ. She described “what feels like a little tear gas” but later said was pepper spray.

Another reporter on the scene, Juan Vega de Soto, confirmed the presence of gas masks and noted that protesters had pushed the barrier almost ten meters towards the police line.

Seattle PD repeatedly warning protesters here at 11th and Pine that if they don’t back away from the fencing, this will not remain a peaceful protest. Protesters have moved the fencing up over ten yards in the past few minutes. Gas masks are on. #seattleprotests#seattleprotestpic.twitter.com/a8S1jlC3zj

De Soto did not mention teargas, however, only that flashbangs were used to disperse the crowd.

Chase Burns from the Stranger also captured the moment of the confrontation.

Seattle PD said that individuals from the crowd threw “rocks/bottles/and explosives at officers,” injuring several. They posted a photo of what they said was an improvised explosive device.

At about 7:30 p.m. demonstrators outside the East Precinct began moving barricades at 11th and Pine despite multiple requests from police to stop. Individuals began throwing rocks/bottles/and explosives at officers. Several officers injured due to improvised explosives. pic.twitter.com/cbW6hWhIvy

Most of the responses claimed the photo showed an ordinary candle in a glass jar, but others pointed out that normal candle wax does not look that powdery.

Earlier on Saturday, Seattle PD Chief Carmen Best announced the city would suspend the use of tear gas for 30 days, after concerns were raised over its deployment against protesters. Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, said there would also be a review of crowd control techniques involving “accountability partners” to “better emphasize de-escalation tactics.”

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Mexico has confirmed its commitment to the OPEC+ deal reached in April, which stipulates oil production cuts for Mexico for May-June only, the country’s Secretary of Energy, Rocio Nahle Garcia, said after the Saturday meeting of oil producers.

“The Government of Mexico maintains its readiness for dialogue and confirms its position on the agreement signed last April,” Mexico’s Energy Secretary wrote on Twitter.

The 23-nation alliance of oil producers agreed on Saturday to extend the 9.7 million-barrel daily cut for another month until July. The OPEC+ energy ministers also agreed to hold output cut monitoring meetings every month for the rest of the year, with the next meeting scheduled for 18 June.

OPEC+ oil producers reached an agreement on 12 April to collectively reduce oil production by 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) for two months, starting from 1 May. The deal stipulated that production would be cut by 7.7 million bpd for 6 months after that, until 31 December. Starting from January of next year until April 2022 oil production would be reduced by 5.8 million bpd.

The oil production of October 2018 was taken as the baseline for calculating the adjustments for all countries, except Russia and Saudi Arabia, which would have their own baseline, 11 million bpd, and would account for the largest reduction.

Under the April deal, Mexico was said to have its own separate quota for the May-June period, namely 100,000 bpd, while the remaining 300,000 bpd would be compensated for by US reductions.

]]>https://1buv.com/mexico-to-stick-to-april-opec-deal-setting-production-cuts-until-june-energy-secretary-says/feed/0Your Confederacy Is Burning. It’s About Time.https://1buv.com/your-confederacy-is-burning-its-about-time/
https://1buv.com/your-confederacy-is-burning-its-about-time/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:45:53 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298361A Birmingham crowd protesting white supremacist terror toppled a statue honoring Charles Linn, who fought with the Confederate Navy to keep black folks enslaved in perpetuity. On the campus of the University of Mississippi—where the sports mascot until 2003 was a Confederate soldier character called “Colonel Reb” and “Dixie” was the fight song for another […]

A Birmingham crowd protesting white supremacist terror toppled a statue honoring Charles Linn, who fought with the Confederate Navy to keep black folks enslaved in perpetuity. On the campus of the University of Mississippi—where the sports mascot until 2003 was a Confederate soldier character called “Colonel Reb” and “Dixie” was the fight song for another 13 years—a protester defaced a Confederate statue. Along Richmond’s Monument Avenue—a street virtually lined with statuary tributes to traitorous defenders of the Confederacy—demonstrators tagged statues of Robert E. Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson and Jefferson Davis with messages including “Fuck Cops” and “No More White Supremacy.”

The Confederacy is rightfully burning, literally and figuratively, though never quite fast enough—and elected leaders are slowly following the lead of protesters and finally taking down Confederate monuments that should have come down long ago.

]]>https://1buv.com/your-confederacy-is-burning-its-about-time/feed/0A Look At The Massive D.C. Protests Over Police Brutality : The Picture Show : NPRhttps://1buv.com/a-look-at-the-massive-d-c-protests-over-police-brutality-the-picture-show-npr/
https://1buv.com/a-look-at-the-massive-d-c-protests-over-police-brutality-the-picture-show-npr/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:43:04 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298339Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Tyrone Turner/WAMU hide caption toggle caption Tyrone Turner/WAMU Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Tyrone Turner/WAMU Tens of thousands of demonstrators crisscrossed Washington, D.C., on Saturday, as protests against police brutality in the nation’s capital continued into a second straight weekend. Multiple groups gathered peacefully at several major landmarks, from the […]

Tens of thousands of demonstrators crisscrossed Washington, D.C., on Saturday, as protests against police brutality in the nation’s capital continued into a second straight weekend.

Multiple groups gathered peacefully at several major landmarks, from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol to the newly minted Black Lives Matter Plaza.

The protests, sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police, are the city’s biggest yet since a white Minneapolis officer pinned the 46-year-old black man to the ground with his knee until he died.

Left photo: Sky Vang of Washington, D.C., marked her birthday Saturday. “I gotta celebrate my birthday this way because I may not get another,” she said. Right photo: Davian Rasberry, left, Joy Davis, middle, Deshawn Raspberry, right, were passing out supplies and water to demonstrators.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

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Tyrone Turner/WAMU

Left photo: Sky Vang of Washington, D.C., marked her birthday Saturday. “I gotta celebrate my birthday this way because I may not get another,” she said. Right photo: Davian Rasberry, left, Joy Davis, middle, Deshawn Raspberry, right, were passing out supplies and water to demonstrators.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

People put a hand on the person next to them at the peaceful protest.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

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Tyrone Turner/WAMU

Protesters wrote messages of hope and anger on the new Black Lives Matter Plaza in response to the death of George Floyd and against police brutality in Washington, D.C.

Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

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Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

Protesters wrote messages of hope and anger on the new Black Lives Matter Plaza in response to the death of George Floyd and against police brutality in Washington, D.C.

Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

Protester Devonne Perkins, 30, demonstrates against the death of George Floyd and police brutality in Washington, D.C.

Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

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Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

Protester Devonne Perkins, 30, demonstrates against the death of George Floyd and police brutality in Washington, D.C.

]]>https://1buv.com/a-look-at-the-massive-d-c-protests-over-police-brutality-the-picture-show-npr/feed/0Paint “Defund the Police” in Yellow Paint on 16th Streethttps://1buv.com/paint-defund-the-police-in-yellow-paint-on-16th-street/
https://1buv.com/paint-defund-the-police-in-yellow-paint-on-16th-street/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:35:48 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298336It wouldn’t be a far left protest with vandalism or violence. Advertisement – story continues below Thousands of Black Lives Matter supporters converged on Washington DC on Saturday to protest against police officers and Trump. The mob ended the day by vandalizing the streets of the nation’s capital. The far left protesters painted “Defund the […]

]]>https://1buv.com/paint-defund-the-police-in-yellow-paint-on-16th-street/feed/0Protesters March Underneath Sign Regarding Facial Coveringshttps://1buv.com/protesters-march-underneath-sign-regarding-facial-coverings/
https://1buv.com/protesters-march-underneath-sign-regarding-facial-coverings/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:25:24 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298333Thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York City on Saturday in the wake of George Floyd’s death, where they marched under a sign that made it clear that facial coverings should be used during the coronavirus pandemic. The protest, which was captured on video by Breitbart News in Lower Manhattan, lasted several […]

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York City on Saturday in the wake of George Floyd’s death, where they marched under a sign that made it clear that facial coverings should be used during the coronavirus pandemic.

The protest, which was captured on video by Breitbart News in Lower Manhattan, lasted several hours and featured hundreds who had no facial coverings and largely ignored social distancing guidelines that have been put in place by state and local governments.

Protesters marched down the street under a sign that read, “Outside with No Mask? Fuhgeddaboutit” and chanted “No justice, no peace” as they moved forward.

The sign mimicked a New York accent pronumciation of “forget about it” and was part of a Public Service Announcement that stated that facial masks should be worn while traveling outside of your home.

The same protest that occurred on Saturday featured protesters who replaced the chant “No justice, no peace” with “F**k Donald Trump, F**k Donald Trump.”

Others in attendance chose to use the opportunity to promote voter registration, urging those who were New York citizens and not registered to vote to do so.

]]>https://1buv.com/protesters-march-underneath-sign-regarding-facial-coverings/feed/0‪Not Alone? Four “Mysterious Signals” Captured From Outer Spacehttps://1buv.com/%e2%80%aanot-alone-four-mysterious-signals-captured-from-outer-space/
https://1buv.com/%e2%80%aanot-alone-four-mysterious-signals-captured-from-outer-space/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 03:15:42 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298327A team of scientists headed by Shivani Bhandari, an astronomer with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia’s federal agency responsible for scientific research, has made a breakthrough discovery by pinpointing the precise location of four fast radio bursts (FRBs). FRBs are very mysterious bursts of radio waves coming from somewhere in the universe. The average pulse ranges for a few milliseconds, […]

A team of scientists headed by Shivani Bhandari, an astronomer with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia’s federal agency responsible for scientific research, has made a breakthrough discovery by pinpointing the precise location of four fast radio bursts (FRBs).

FRBs are very mysterious bursts of radio waves coming from somewhere in the universe. The average pulse ranges for a few milliseconds, caused by high-energy sources, which are not entirely understood.

Bhandari’s new research, published on June 1 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, reveals that four FRBs came from massive galaxies forming new stars. They said FRBs originated not from the center of galaxies, but rather from the outer edges.

“These precisely localized fast radio bursts came from the outskirts of their home galaxies, removing the possibility that they have anything to do with supermassive black holes,” said Bhandari.

Bhandari’s team found exact locations for FRB 180924, FRB 181112, FRB 190102, and FRB 190608 by using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia.

Source of FRBs. h/t CSIRO

Bhandari said, “This first detailed study of the galaxies that host fast radio bursts rules out several of the more extreme theories put forward to explain their origins, getting us closer to knowing their true nature.”

Co-author of the study, CSIRO Professor Elaine Sadler said FRBs could not have come from a superluminous stellar explosion or cosmic strings.

“Models such as mergers of compact objects like white dwarfs or neutron stars, or flares from magnetars created by such mergers, are still looking good,” Sadler said.

“Positioning the sources of fast radio bursts is a huge technical achievement and moves the field on enormously. We may not yet be clear exactly what is going on, but now, at last, options are being ruled out. This is a highly significant paper, thoroughly researched, and well written,” said Burnell.

According to another paper (dated February 3) by a team of astrophysicists in Canada, a “mystery radio signal” was recorded as repeating based on a clearly discernible pattern. “The discovery of a 16.35-day periodicity in a repeating FRB source is an important clue to the nature of this object,” the team said. A summary of some of the key findings are as follows:

“Between September 16, 2018 and October 30, 2019, detected a pattern in bursts occurring every 16.35 days. Over the course of four days, the signal would release a burst or two each hour. Then, it would go silent for another 12 days.

“…The signal is a known repeating fast radio burst, FRB 180916.J0158+65. Last year, the CHIME/FRB collaboration detected the sources of eight new repeating fast radio bursts, including this signal. The repeating signal was traced to a massive spiral galaxy around 500 million light-years away.”

Both findings suggest astronomers are one step closer to understanding the source of these mysterious radio signals coming from deep within the universe. Could this mean we’re not alone?

“Friends point out on D-Day anniversary that the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy were the true and original antifa,” he said.

Jordan Schachtel sought to bring a dose of reality to the journalists.

Antifa is explicitly a violent marxist terrorist group. They don’t hide this. It’s in their literature & actions. The idea they’re antifascists like the people who stormed beaches during d-day is an absolute farce. They r full blown communist radicals & so are their sympathizers.

“Antifa is explicitly a violent marxist terrorist group. They don’t hide this. It’s in their literature & actions,” he wrote.

“The idea they’re antifascists like the people who stormed beaches during d-day is an absolute farce. They r full blown communist radicals & so are their sympathizers.”

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube.Follow him on Twitter andlike him on Facebook.

]]>https://1buv.com/woke-journalists-liken-d-day-landing-to-antifa-riots/feed/0Slapping Someone Could Get You 10 Years In Prison Under Federal ‘Anti-Lynching’ Bill – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/slapping-someone-could-get-you-10-years-in-prison-under-federal-anti-lynching-bill-newswars/
https://1buv.com/slapping-someone-could-get-you-10-years-in-prison-under-federal-anti-lynching-bill-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:56:15 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298321Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker’s Orwellian “anti-lynching bill” will allow the feds to throw Americans in prison for 10 years for slapping someone and uttering a racial slur, Senator Rand Paul revealed Thursday. The bill, which Cory Booker said last year was inspired by Jussie Smollett’s supposed “lynching,” does not make lynching illegal […]

The bill, which Cory Booker said last year was inspired by Jussie Smollett’s supposed “lynching,” does not make lynching illegal as it’s already illegal but instead creates a new crime called “conspiracy to lynch” that will allow the feds to ramp up mass incarceration for thought crimes.

Senator Paul is “single-handedly” holding this atrocious bill up as the GOP-controlled senate is too cowardly to stand against it, lest they be perceived as “pro-lynching.”

Hey @CoryBooker and @KamalaHarris lynching is already illegal but slapping someone is not lynching, We shouldn’t conflate someone who has an altercation with minor injuries, with lynching, That’s my opposition to this without my amendment to fix it. https://t.co/vmyuk55Dcc

I think it’s important to know and to let the record show that I’ve been working with Senator Booker’s office for three months on the amendment to this bill that I’m willing to have unanimous passage of the bill today, but I think it’s incredibly important that we get this right. A woman in New Jersey, a black woman in New Jersey, assaulted three Jewish women and slapped them. It was terrible and she uttered racial epithets about these Jewish women. She was charged with third degree misdemeanor assault up to a year in prison, which actually sounds to me pretty significant for slapping, but she was then charged with a hate crime in addition to that that would be four years in addition. So we do have to get this right. If slapping someone and hurling a racial epithet could get you 10 years in prison, this is exactly what we’ve been fighting about in criminal justice reform, that we set up a system, we didn’t pay attention to the penalties, and all of a sudden, things we didn’t intend happen. So we have to be smart about this. I’m willing to pass the bill today, as amended, which would simply say not that you even have to harm someone, you have to attempt to harm them, but it has to be an attempt to harm them.

So all of the discussion about bruising while trying to lynch someone, yes that’s attempted murder, it would be covered by this bill. Nothing in the bill would stop, would prevent the prosecution of heinous behavior. That’s what it’s intended for. What I’m intending is … What I’m trying to do is to make sure we don’t get unintended consequences. We’ve fought the battle against mandatory minimums for a decade now because we tie up people in sentencing that makes no sense. 10 years for slapping someone would be an abomination and it couldn’t happen to anyone. Do we want a black woman who slapped three Jewish women in New Jersey to get 10 years in prison? If there was a group of them, it’s now a conspiracy to lynch. We have to use some common sense here. We should not have a 10-year prison sentence for anything less than at the very least an attempt to do bodily harm. The statute lists what bodily harm is, but it could still be an attempt, it doesn’t mean you actually have to have it, but what it would preclude is somebody shoves somebody in a bar and they fall down and they have an abrasion and they say he did it because of a racial animus towards me, and you have a 10-year penalty, that’s not right.

So all of us here are advocates on the same side of criminal justice reform, we all have argued on the same side that the law is screwed up, and has incarcerated too many people unfairly. That’s what I’m trying to prevent here, and so the thing is is I understand the emotions on it. You think I take great joy in being here? No. I’m a sponsor of 22 criminal justice bills. You think I’m getting any good publicity out of this? No, I will be excoriated by simple-minded people on the internet who think somehow I don’t like Emmett Till or appreciate the history and the memory of Emmett Till. I’ll be lectured to by everybody and I’ve got no right

…in the memory of Emmett Till. I’ll be lectured to by everybody. I’ve got no right to have an opinion on any of these things. I should be quiet. But we can’t just not read our bills. You know, I have worked in an honest way with Senator Booker’s office for three months on this bill. We have gone back and forth. We gave them some language. They came back to us and said it wouldn’t work. And I said, “Well, what about this?” And then we haven’t gotten any more responses.

So we haven’t gotten responses back in a month or more, and the thing is, is now they’re litigating in the press and trying to accuse me of somehow being in favor of something so heinous that it makes my skin crawl, that it makes me sick to my stomach to even read the accounts of what happened.

But we also ought to be fair and honest about this. Lynching is illegal. People who are saying there’s no federal law against lynching or not telling the truth. The law says, if you kill somebody and you have racial animus under the Hate Crime statute, it is illegal. You can’t do that. It’s also illegal in all the states. This bill does not make lynching illegal. So for all the discussion of that, this bill creates a new crime called conspiracy to lynch. Well, yeah, I’m for it. If there’s a crowd, let’s arrest of the whole mob. All four policemen should be responsible for what happened to Mr. Floyd.

But the thing is, is when we do that, we have to be careful that we don’t then put a crowd of people in where someone pushed into someone or someone slapped someone. There has to be justice. People are chanting justice. Justice has to have a brain and has to have vision and can’t be hamstrung into something that could give someone 10 years in prison for a minor crime.

This is a very minor attempt. Everything we left in here, we have worked with Senator Booker’s office to make sure it is inclusive. They came back and said, “What about attempted?” And we said, “Let’s change the language.” So we have in there, “attempt to cause seriously bodily harm.” So there could be no injury, but someone will have to have a discussion of whether there was an attempt and it was an attempt that looked like it would be serious.

So I think slapping someone isn’t, but under the current statute, as is, people will say, “Oh, nobody will ever do it.” Maybe, but we’re putting it on the books. The mandatory minimums have kept people in jail for decades. There are people in life for nonviolent crimes. All of us have worked on the same side of that issue.

I’m asking for a very minor change. I’ll pass it right now. I’m completely out of the way. I’m for the bill. I’m asking unanimous consent to pass a bill today with one amendment that just says, let’s be careful not to arrest people for slapping someone or not to arrest somebody for pushes into someone and get them 10 years in prison.

This isn’t about someone trying to kill another person or someone attempting bodily harm. Those people would be included in this language, even if they did not have a mark on the person, but if they were rounding them up, tying them up, and they’d thrown a rope over the tree, that’s attempted murder. And they would still be included under this bill, even without a mark on them.

But what we have to preclude and what we’re trying to preclude is that the bill doesn’t get used for the wrong purposes. We’re all on the same side about who we want to punish and who we should prevent. And we’re also on the same side on the symbolism of this, but we can’t pass laws that do exactly what all of us have said is wrong with our penal system, all the unintended consequences.

There is one here and I ask in a very polite way, and I’ve been asking for three months for one small change, and I would let the bill go today, on this day, if we could have it. And the changes have been out there. They’re not brand new and they’ve been in Senator Booker’s office for three months and we’ve tried to, as he’s had objections, work with him on his objections. So I would ask unanimous consent, once again, to pass the bill as amended.

Democrats are releasing almost everyone arrested for taking part in the riots and looting over the past two weeks but they want the feds to be able to throw anyone in prison for a decade or more for the most minor slight if their actions were motivated by any alleged racial bias.

Meanwhile, Republicans — with the sole exception of Rand Paul — are not only doing nothing to stop it but are eager to sign on to this lunacy!

]]>https://1buv.com/slapping-someone-could-get-you-10-years-in-prison-under-federal-anti-lynching-bill-newswars/feed/0Racial Healer? The Media Has Conveniently Forgotten George W. Bush’s Many Atrocitieshttps://1buv.com/racial-healer-the-media-has-conveniently-forgotten-george-w-bushs-many-atrocities/
https://1buv.com/racial-healer-the-media-has-conveniently-forgotten-george-w-bushs-many-atrocities/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:55:50 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298317Authored by James Bovard via The Mises Institute, Former president George W. Bush has returned to the spotlight to give moral guidance to America in these troubled times. In a statement released on Tuesday, Bush announced that he was “anguished” by the “brutal suffocation” of George Floyd and declared that “lasting peace in our communities requires […]

Former president George W. Bush has returned to the spotlight to give moral guidance to America in these troubled times. In a statement released on Tuesday, Bush announced that he was “anguished” by the “brutal suffocation” of George Floyd and declared that “lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice. The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.”

Bush’s declaration was greeted with thunderous applause by the usual suspects who portray him as the virtuous Republican in contrast to Trump. While the media portrays Bush’s pious piffle as a visionary triumph of principle, Americans need to vividly recall the lies and atrocities that permeated his eight years as president.

Via Getty Images

In an October 2017 speech in a “national forum on liberty” at the George W. Bush Institute in New York City, Bush bemoaned that “Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.” Coming from Bush, this had as much credibility as former president Bill Clinton bewailing the decline of chastity.

Most media coverage of Bush nowadays either ignores the falsehoods he used to take America to war in Iraq or portrays him as a good man who received incorrect information. But Bush was lying from the get-go on Iraq and was determined to drag the nation into another Middle East war.

Bush’s lies led to the killing of more than four thousand American troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians. But since those folks are dead and gone anyhow, the media instead lauds Bush’s selection to be in a Kennedy Center art showdisplaying his borderline primitive oil paintings.

Liberals and never-Trumpers rushed to embrace former President Bush this week:

Say what you want about George Bush, I’m not a fan either. But this response to the murder of George Floyd is brilliant. I hope those who feel the need to constantly invalidate the feelings of victims of racism will learn something. https://t.co/hAeRcuePOE

But when he was president, Bush acted as if the United States were entitled to intervene in any foreign election he pleased. He boasted in 2005 that his administration had budgeted almost $5 billion “for programs to support democratic change around the world,” much of which was spent on tampering with foreign vote totals. When Iraq held elections in 2005, Bush approved a massive covert aid program for pro-American Iraqi parties.

In that October 2017 New York speech, Bush proclaimed: “No democracy pretends to be a tyranny.” But ravaging the Constitution was apparently part of his job description when he was president. Shortly after 9-11, Bush turned back the clock to before 1215 (when the Magna Carta was signed), formally suspending habeas corpus and claiming a prerogative to imprison indefinitely anyone he labeled a terrorist suspect.

In 2002, Justice Department lawyers informed Bush that the president was entitled to violate the law during wartime—and the war on terror was expected to continue indefinitely. In 2004, Bush White House counsel Alberto Gonzales formally asserted a “commander-in-chief override power” entitling presidents to ignore the Bill of Rights.

During his years in the White House, Bush perennially denied that he had approved torture. But in 2010, during an author tour to promote his new memoir, he bragged about approving waterboarding for terrorist suspects.

Is Bush nominating himself to be the nation’s racial healer? When he was president, Bush inflicted more financial ruin on blacks than any president since Woodrow Wilson (who brought Jim Crow barbarities to the federal government). Bush trumpeted his plans to close the gap between black and white homeownership rates and promised in 2002 to “use the mighty muscle of the federal government” to solve the problem. Bush was determined to end the bias against people who wanted to buy a home but had no money.

Congress passed Bush’s American Dream Downpayment Act in 2003, authorizing federal handouts to first-time homebuyers of up to $10,000 or 6 percent of the home’s purchase price. Bush also swayed Congress to permit the Federal Housing Administration to make no–down payment loans to low-income Americans. Bush proclaimed: “Core American values of individuality, thrift, responsibility, and self-reliance are embodied in homeownership.”

In Bush’s eyes, self-reliance was so wonderful that the government should subsidize it. And it didn’t matter whether recipients were creditworthy, because politicians meant well. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign trumpeted his down payment giveaways, a shining example of “compassionate conservatism.”

Thanks in large part to his policies, minority households saw the fastest growth in homeownership leading up to the 2007 recession. The housing collapse ravaged the net worth of black and Hispanic households. “The implosion of the subprime lending market has left a scar on the finances of black Americans—one that not only has wiped out a generation of economic progress but could leave them at a financial disadvantage for decades,” the Washington Post reported in 2012. The median net worth for Hispanic households declined by 66 percent between 2005 and 2009. That devastation was aptly described in a 2017 federal appeals court dissenting opinion as “wrecking ball benevolence” (quoting a 2004 Barron’s op-ed I wrote). But almost none of the media coverage of the ex-president reminds people of the economic carnage of this Bush vote-buying binge.

It is possible to condemn police brutality and, even more importantly, the evil laws and judicial doctrines that enable police to tyrannize other Americans without any help from a demagogic ex-president who ravaged our rights, liberties, and peace. As I commented in an August 2003 USA Today op-ed, “Whether Bush and his appointees will be held personally liable for their [Iraq War] falsehoods is a grave test for American democracy.” The revival of Bush’s reputation vivifies how our political media system failed that test. As long as George Bush doesn’t turn himself in for committing war crimes, all of his talk about “achieving justice for all” is rubbish.

]]>https://1buv.com/racial-healer-the-media-has-conveniently-forgotten-george-w-bushs-many-atrocities/feed/0Over 700 tons of oil & contaminated water collected at Norilsk fuel spill site — RT Russia Newshttps://1buv.com/over-700-tons-of-oil-contaminated-water-collected-at-norilsk-fuel-spill-site-rt-russia-news/
https://1buv.com/over-700-tons-of-oil-contaminated-water-collected-at-norilsk-fuel-spill-site-rt-russia-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:49:22 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298313Russian emergency services have collected more than 700 tons of dirty water and fuel and decontaminated an area of some 14,600 square meters, in clean-up efforts after a major diesel spillage at an Arctic power plant. The May 29 accident saw over 21,000 tons of diesel fuel escaping from a storage tank at the thermal […]

Russian emergency services have collected more than 700 tons of dirty water and fuel and decontaminated an area of some 14,600 square meters, in clean-up efforts after a major diesel spillage at an Arctic power plant.

The May 29 accident saw over 21,000 tons of diesel fuel escaping from a storage tank at the thermal power plant, located some 10 km from Norilsk, a city above the Arctic Circle in Western Siberia.

It will take about two more weeks to clean up the bulk of the area, Deputy Emergency Minister Aleksandr Chupriyan told Russian media on Saturday. In addition to that, some 780 tons of contaminated soil were removed from the area as part of the ongoing mitigation effort.

Oil products that have been removed from the area are being placed into hermetically sealed barrels, since it is impossible to transport them to disposal sites just yet. They will be stored at the site until the winter, when naturally frozen water surfaces can once again be used as roads.

The major oil spill in Norilsk has grabbed international attention due to the expected lasting damage to the environment. The US, which has experienced similar catastrophes in the past, has offered its assistance to Moscow in dealing with the aftermath of the accident. Responding to the offer, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed gratitude to Washington, calling the move as “yet another goodwill gesture” that “shows that such mutual cooperation is possible.”

A federal-level emergency was declared in the region on June 3, five days after diesel stored at the plant leaked from the facility and into the surrounding area, two small rivers and a local lake. The gas-powered plant uses diesel as a backup.

Local authorities and the plant operator – a subsidiary of the Russian metals giant Nornickel – have pointed fingers at each other for the failure to address the accident in a timely manner. The company said that it notified the local authorities on the day of the spillage, while the emergencies ministry argued that the plant operator was mum about the incident for two days, wasting valuable time.

Prosecutors have launched three criminal probes in the aftermath of the incident, including for environmental offenses and contamination of soil and water. A manager in charge of the boiler-and-turbine shop at the plant, who was directly responsible for the damaged tank, has been arrested and taken into custody as the investigation continues.

The plant operator blamed the unusually warm weather for the incident, arguing that the melting permafrost caused the collapse of the reservoir’s foundation. In the meantime, the Russian technical, nuclear and environmental watchdog revealed it had found irregularities in the operation of two tanks used for fuel storage at the plant as far back as in 2017, and said that the company failed to carry out planned repairs that would have seen it tending to the areas damaged by corrosion.

]]>https://1buv.com/over-700-tons-of-oil-contaminated-water-collected-at-norilsk-fuel-spill-site-rt-russia-news/feed/0‘Key And Major Instigator’: Buffalo Mayor Takes Shot at Elderly Man Shoved to Ground by Policehttps://1buv.com/key-and-major-instigator-buffalo-mayor-takes-shot-at-elderly-man-shoved-to-ground-by-police/
https://1buv.com/key-and-major-instigator-buffalo-mayor-takes-shot-at-elderly-man-shoved-to-ground-by-police/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:40:39 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298310US 02:05 GMT 07.06.2020(updated 02:17 GMT 07.06.2020) Get short URL An appalling video revealing Buffalo police officers shoving an unarmed 75-year-old man to the ground, causing him to bleed out of his ears, went viral immediately after being posted. The two police officers involved in the incident have been suspended without pay and charged with […]

An appalling video revealing Buffalo police officers shoving an unarmed 75-year-old man to the ground, causing him to bleed out of his ears, went viral immediately after being posted. The two police officers involved in the incident have been suspended without pay and charged with assault.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Friday claimed that, according to “what was reported” to him, Martin Gugino, the elderly man that was injured by Buffalo police was a “key and major instigator” of the protest. In a radio interview, Brown insisted that the man “was trying to spark up the crowd of people” and made reference to something he referred to as “the darkness.”

“He was trying to spark up the crowd of people. Those people were there into the darkness. Our concern is when it gets dark, there is a potential for violence. There has been vandalism, there have been fires set, there have been stores broken into and looted. According to what was reported to me, that individual was a key and major instigator of people engaging in those activities”, Brown said.

The city mayor also claimed that police repeatedly told Gugino to leave while trying to disperse crowds after the start of the 8 p.m. curfew, although the video appears to show a brightly sunlit scene. Mayor Brown did not specify the source of his accusations.

The comment followed outrage caused by the viral graphic video of Buffalo police shoving an unarmed Gugino to the ground after he slowly approached them, displaying no aggression. After he fell, he lay motionless as blood oozed out of his ears. The police department initially claimed that he tripped and fell of his own accord.

Gugino has been placed in a hospital, and Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski, the two officers involved in the violent incident, have been suspended without pay and charged with assault. Following their suspension, an entire unit of the Buffalo Police Department resigned from their local unit in support of their colleagues, although they did not resign from their jobs in the Buffalo police force, claiming the two were “simply following orders”.

The incident occurred amid a wave of nationwide protests across all 50 of the United States as well as in most urban areas and cities, sparked by the viral video of the death of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis after white police officer Derek Chauving knelt on his neck on the ground for nearly nine minutes as the victim begged for air.

]]>https://1buv.com/key-and-major-instigator-buffalo-mayor-takes-shot-at-elderly-man-shoved-to-ground-by-police/feed/0Black Porn Stars Come Forward With Their Racism Horror Storieshttps://1buv.com/black-porn-stars-come-forward-with-their-racism-horror-stories/
https://1buv.com/black-porn-stars-come-forward-with-their-racism-horror-stories/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:30:35 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298307A few of the women seemed nervous as the cameras began to roll and the orgy got underway—not unusual for newbies. Except there was one woman who appeared to be dodging a particular male performer. If he got too close, she’d walk off-camera or reposition, creating a buffer of other performers’ bodies between them. It […]

A few of the women seemed nervous as the cameras began to roll and the orgy got underway—not unusual for newbies. Except there was one woman who appeared to be dodging a particular male performer. If he got too close, she’d walk off-camera or reposition, creating a buffer of other performers’ bodies between them. It seemed personal.

His physical performance began to suffer. Ugh. Wood problems would mean longer working hours for everyone. When several performers called for bathroom and water breaks, and with the scene paused and fewer people nearby, he sat down next to her and asked why she was scurrying away from him during the shoot. She ignored him. So they sat in naked silence until all the other performers were back on set.

“It’s ‘cause you’re black!” the director shouted out from across the room. At first, everyone thought it was a joke. It wasn’t. The director had known the entire time; he’d cast the orgy that way on purpose. Any one of us could have left at that moment but we wouldn’t have been paid. As a newbie, the consequences of leaving weren’t well understood, though the racism was clear. Twenty years later, not much has changed in the world of porn. But some actors are finally making their voices heard.

In the midst of two pandemics—the coronavirus andpolice brutality against unarmed black people, including the recent killings of George Floyd, David McAtee, and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police—the adult industry is having a long-overdue conversation about the racism that has infected so many aspects of the adult world, from the marketing of scenes to the amount workers are paid.

Still pumped from the street protests against police violence he attended earlier in the evening, Ricky Johnson speaks passionately about his newfound desire for protesting.

Better known for his work as a performer/director in the adult entertainment industry, Johnson often dons Brazzers’ garb (who he’s under contract with) while out protesting. “I went to a couple of protests. They are much more peaceful and organized now, less cops. Things have changed in the last two days, in terms of organization and being peaceful,” Johnson offers, thinking back to the first few protests he attended. “Everyone was so tense in West Hollywood protesting the first couple of days. There was a lot of anger, a lot of people seeing firsthand how things are. In the Long Beach protest there was a whole bunch of us and someone threw a bottle in between the front lines and the cops, and a couple of cops got out their rubber bullets and started shooting into the crowd.”

For Johnson, who has witnessed plenty of racism in his chosen profession, he now also wants to bring the protests’ momentum for change home to the adult entertainment industry. “It’s such a strong thing to be black in the industry. Everyone tells you you’re black and then because I’m light-skinned I hear jokes, ‘Oh you’re not black enough,’ and I don’t know how to react to it.”

Men’s pay is often dictated by their performance or the size of their sword, regardless of color, but it’s different for women. “I see my African-American counterparts in women, they struggle with payment, the white girls get paid more to have sex with a black guy. And that thing with putting girls under contract to wait for a year before they have sex with a black guy, that doesn’t make me feel normal,” says Johnson. “There’s no difference between me and my colleagues at work. My skin color shouldn’t separate me from them.”

The financial implications of racism are still prevalent in porn—so much so that new performers entering the industry are usually told to seek out someone “in the know” to discuss the cost in how they identify their race.

Upon entering the adult industry six months ago, Sahara Leone had a conversation with her then-agent about the financial impact of claiming to be a person of color, rather than “passing.” One payday lost, for example, would be the first scene with a black man, dubbed “interracial” in porn jargon (which is only and exclusively used to mean a black man with a white woman). “You won’t be able to do IR if you’re black,” Leone recalls the agent saying. “So, for me when I started, I said I was Cuban.”

By avoiding identifying as black, she received the payday for her first “interracial” scene. And then there is the attention that goes with doing your first IR scene, which is unavailable to black women in the industry.

“IR is so publicized, and if you’re a black woman there is no IR because IR is just a black male role and a white woman role,” Leone explains. “I was trying to hold on to that because you get so much more money for your first IR scenes and all these things, which is what my agent said.”

Less than three months after entering the adult business, COVID-19 shut it all down. Since then, Leone discovered various camming platforms, which ultimately changed her business model. “I don’t want to hide,” says Leone, who has since changed how she markets herself. “And I do want to share that I felt pressure to hide. I want to come out on the record and say, ‘Yeah, I am black, and yeah, I was ashamed, and if anyone else feels that way, you don’t have to hide. There is a market for us too.”

Being a woman of color in an industry that plays up taboos and racism for profit requires thick skin and a strong sense of self. Porn for decades has actively marketed racial fetishes, playing to stereotypes or overt racism. Daisy Ducati recalls one of her first encounters with financially incentivized racism.

“I was in a production and, according to the information I received prior to the shoot, it was a regular boy/girl scene, no dialogue, easy,” she says of her expectations that day. “The male talent was fine—an older white man, he was a great scene partner, it was in and out, I got done and went home. Later, the DVD came out and it was a showcase of black female performers with white male performers and they called it Black Wives Matter. I had no prior knowledge until I saw my face on the DVD. I contacted the director, he also had no idea, and apparently it was a decision made at the company’s corporate office.”

Indeed, it is not unusual in porn for performers to have no idea how a scene is going to be titled or sold. “There are people that genuinely don’t give a fuck because there is profit in racism, there are racist people willing to pay,” Ducatti says, pointing to this as the source of the problem.

“Later, the DVD came out and it was a showcase of black female performers with white male performers and they called it ‘Black Wives Matter.’ I had no prior knowledge until I saw my face on the DVD.”

A quick search on Pornhub reveals a full range of offensive, tasteless, and racist titles—because racism apparently makes for great search engine optimization.

What bothers Ducatti the most is the long-standing complicity of many in the adult industry. “It’s not even a hush-hush thing. I’ve had directors straight-up tell me that they can’t pay me as much as the white performer that I’m performing with, in the same scene! I’ve had to learn how to market myself on my own and not work for people that treat me like that. It’s infuriating,” she says.

For women of color there are less available roles, and less roles means fewer paydays and fewer opportunities to garner award nominations, which will in turn lead to increased pay and higher overall rates. It’s a vicious cycle.

With well over a decade in the industry, and a number of awards recognizing her work, Misty Stone, who is black, has an enviable career—but she knows she’s had to work twice as hard for it.

“I’ve been around a long time, so my rate is a lot more than most,” Stone admits. “My rate is up there with the white girls. So I did very well for myself but when I first started, my rate was $400. I have mentored so many women in this industry, and some of them were white women that got paid $800 to start. Another girl got paid $1,000 to start. And these are beginner girls! This is because of the color of their skin. Isn’t that interesting?”

]]>https://1buv.com/black-porn-stars-come-forward-with-their-racism-horror-stories/feed/0Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice : NPRhttps://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-16/
https://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-16/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:28:26 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298300The casket of George Floyd arrives Saturday in Raeford, N.C. Floyd was called a gentle giant. John Bazemore/AP hide caption toggle caption John Bazemore/AP The casket of George Floyd arrives Saturday in Raeford, N.C. Floyd was called a gentle giant. John Bazemore/AP In a service punctuated throughout by moments of ecstatic worship and praise, the […]

The casket of George Floyd arrives Saturday in Raeford, N.C. Floyd was called a gentle giant.

John Bazemore/AP

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John Bazemore/AP

The casket of George Floyd arrives Saturday in Raeford, N.C. Floyd was called a gentle giant.

John Bazemore/AP

In a service punctuated throughout by moments of ecstatic worship and praise, the family of George Floyd gathered in Raeford, N.C. to honor the life of a man who was killed by Minneapolis police nearly two weeks ago.

Floyd’s family arrived dressed in white for the private memorial service at Cape Fear Conference B Headquarters of the United American Free Will Baptist Denomination near Fayetteville, N.C., Floyd’s birthplace, on Saturday afternoon. Mourners were led in invocations, prayer and music. Floyd’s uncle, Isaac Floyd, sang. Ruby Floyd, another family member, told the crowd, “God is on our side.”

Several public officials also joined the family, including members of the state’s congressional delegation, Democrat G.K. Butterfield and Republican Richard Hudson. A spokesman for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper presented the family with a flag that had flown at the state Capitol.

“In his living and in his dying, he has pleased God. He has woke all of us up,” the spokesman, Jeremy Collins, said.

Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin, who also spoke, had a message for fellow law enforcement officers, “It don’t mean nothing if you can’t say these six words: We are part of the problem.”

In a stirring eulogy, the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Stackhouse referred to Floyd as a gentle giant who enjoyed mayonnaise and banana sandwiches. He invoked Floyd’s name several times throughout, telling the audience of the despair in seeing another black person die at the hands of the police.

“Although it took 8 minutes and 46 seconds for him to die, it took 401 years to put the system in place for nothing to happen,” said Stackhouse, mentioning the amount of time then-officer Derek Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck.

Stackhouse went to say that Floyd’s death was different, noting the worldwide support that’s followed.

“It was George Floyd — Perry Jr. what they called him — who sparked the fuse that’s going to change this nation,” Stackhouse said.

Mourners gather for a memorial service for George Floyd Saturday in Raeford, N.C.

John Bazemore/AP

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Mourners gather for a memorial service for George Floyd Saturday in Raeford, N.C.

John Bazemore/AP

Ahead of Saturday’s private ceremony, thousands queued up to attend the open casket viewing. Both locals and supporters of protests ignited by Floyd’s killing came to pay their respects.

“I feel like that could have been me lying there and I’ve been in situations where it could have easily escalated,” said Henry Davis, who attended the viewing.

Saturday’s memorial follows a similar one this past week in Minneapolis. His funeral is planned for Tuesday in Houston, where Floyd spent most of his life.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) appeared before a struggle session at a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday. Frey stood in front of the stage and answered questions from those on stage.

Frey, dressed casually and speaking through a coronavirus mask confessed, “…I’ve been coming to grips with my own brokenness in this situation, my own failures, my own shortcomings and I know there needs to be deep seated structural reform in terms of how the department operates. The systemic racist system needs to be revamped. The police union needs to be put in its place. We need to make sure that everything from the union contract to the way that the arbitration functions, to the way that the our officers in the department behave.”

Frey was then asked a ‘yes or no’ question, “Will you commit to defunding Minneapolis police department?”, by a questioner who reminded him and the mob that Frey is up for reelection next year.

When Frey said he would not support defunding the police, the questioner screamed at him, “Get the f*ck out of here! Go! Go! Go! Get out of here! Get the f*ck out of here!”

As Frey slowly made his way through the crowd to leave, they switched chants to, “Shame, shame, shame, shame!”

Video taken from two vantage points show Frey at the rally, one of him facing the struggle session and the other the resulting walk of shame.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showed up today at the protests. He was asked if he would commit to abolishing/defunding the police. Incredible to witness crowd hold him directly accountable. Man did a literal walk of shame. pic.twitter.com/v645mfIZHt

]]>https://1buv.com/go-home-jacob-go-home-minneapolis-mayor-frey-forced-to-leave-black-lives-matter-rally-after-saying-he-wont-defund-police-video/feed/0Bruce Springsteen Demands ‘Systemic Changes in Law Enforcement’https://1buv.com/bruce-springsteen-demands-systemic-changes-in-law-enforcement/
https://1buv.com/bruce-springsteen-demands-systemic-changes-in-law-enforcement/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:10:16 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298292Rocker Bruce Springsteen proclaimed this week that the United States needs “systemic changes” in its “law enforcement departments” in the wake of the police involved death of George Floyd. “We need systemic changes in our law enforcement departments and the political will of our national citizenry to once again move forward the kind of changes that […]

Rocker Bruce Springsteen proclaimed this week that the United States needs “systemic changes” in its “law enforcement departments” in the wake of the police involved death of George Floyd.

“We need systemic changes in our law enforcement departments and the political will of our national citizenry to once again move forward the kind of changes that will bring the ideals of the civil rights movement once again to life and into this moment,” said Springsteen on his satellite radio channel.

“Eight minutes,” said Springsteen of his song, “American Skin (41 Shots)” — which is about the 1999 shooting of Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo. “That song is almost eight minutes long, and that’s how long it took George Floyd to die with a Minneapolis officer’s knee buried into his neck, and that’s a long time.”

“That’s how long he begged for help and said he couldn’t breathe,” Springsteen continued. “The arresting officer’s response was nothing but silence and wait. Then he had no pulse and still it went on.”

The singer went on to say that “systemic changes” need to be made to police departments in response to the anecdote, before going on to blame fallout from the Chinese coronavirus on President Donald Trump.

“As we speak, 40 million people are unemployed, 100,000 plus citizens have died from COVID-19 with only the most tepid and unfeeling response from our White House,” said Springsteen, who failed to mention that 100,000 was doctor Anthony Fauci’s low-end estimate of coronavirus deaths — with the maximum measures put in place to prevent it.

“As of today, our black citizens continue to be killed unnecessarily by our police on the streets of America,” segued Springsteen during his monologue. “And as of this broadcast, the country was on fire and in chaos.”

Fire and chaos, indeed.

On Tuesday, a black retired St. Louis police captain, David Dorn, was killed after protests over the death of George Floyd turned violent. And last week in California, a black federal officer, Patrick Underwood, was shot and killed as he attempted to keep the peace amid violent riots.

Meanwhile, the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House in Washington, D.C. was set on fire, while more violence, vandalism, looting, beatings, and killings ensued in cities across the country.

]]>https://1buv.com/bruce-springsteen-demands-systemic-changes-in-law-enforcement/feed/0Special Operations Command is diving into spacehttps://1buv.com/special-operations-command-is-diving-into-space/
https://1buv.com/special-operations-command-is-diving-into-space/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:05:27 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298290The need for U.S. Special Operations Command to rely on existing space-based capabilities while developing its own has increased in recent years, especially as SOCOM expands its focus from the counter-terrorist fight to a near-peer competition, an organization leader said recently. “We’ll be learning a lot over the next couple years with how we are […]

The need for U.S. Special Operations Command to rely on existing space-based capabilities while developing its own has increased in recent years, especially as SOCOM expands its focus from the counter-terrorist fight to a near-peer competition, an organization leader said recently.

“We’ll be learning a lot over the next couple years with how we are going to partner with the Space Force, Air Force and other services who are doing things in space,” Special Reconnaissance Program Executive Officer David Breede said at the virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference May 12. “We are now delving into space-based capabilities.”

SOCOM’s space efforts run the gamut from leveraging existing capabilities from other services to developing its own cubesats and hosted payloads to put on orbit.

The command’s increased attention on space is part of a broader effort across the Department of Defense. In 2019, the department began a significant reorganization to focus more on space, standing up the Space Development Agency, reestablishing U.S. Space Command, and forming the U.S. Space Force. As those organizations continue to develop over the next few years, SOCOM will determine where they fit into the broader DoD efforts in space.

“We’re still working with the command and trying to define and figure out what’s that niche for SOF-peculiar space,” Breede said. “There are very SOF-peculiar requirements that we can address through space-based capabilities. As much as possible, like with every other program we have, we’ll want to leverage our partners across the services and across the agencies for those capabilities that they can provide.”

“There are some fantastic capabilities that are already in space that we should, could and sometimes do leverage. Now it’s a matter of finding those gaps and seams that are not currently being addressed that are peculiar to SOF requirements and that our service partners and our agency partners are not going to address,” said Breede.

He added that developing and demonstrating special reconnaissance, space-based payloads was one of his top three priorities.

“That area is really key for us to pull back from where we traditionally had operators on the ground, had a physical presence in proximity to those sensors, and pulling back and being able to do things like data exfiltration, the remote command and control of sensors, of doing RF survey from a soft cube payload,” said Breede. “We are playing in the area of an organic small cubesat capability that will be (designed, built and owned) by SOCOM. We’re seeing how that applies to addressing future capabilities.”

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Breede said his office was talking to Space Force about partnering for guaranteed rideshares into orbit for SOCOM payloads.

SOCOM is also considering hosted payloads on other government satellites. For example, the command is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on hosted payloads for Blackjack, an effort to demonstrate the military utility of a proliferated constellation of small satellites based in low earth orbit.

Beyond Blackjack, SOCOM also wants to place their payloads in proliferated commercial LEO constellations, such as Starlink or OneWeb, which have hundreds of small satellites already on orbit.

“We’ve actually had some talks with some other satellite providers about how much interest there may be for hosting payloads among their very large LEO constellations,” Breede said.

“It’s an area to exploit,” he continued. “I think commercial satellite capability, in and of itself, without a hosted payload, is an area to exploit. It’s pretty amazing the capabilities that are being put up now by commercial entities that you never would have seen in years prior. Space was really the domain of big government, well-funded government programs, and now you’re seeing commercial exploitation of space take off.”

]]>https://1buv.com/special-operations-command-is-diving-into-space/feed/0Chaotic COVID Response Sparks Revival In Once Despised Plastics Industry https://1buv.com/chaotic-covid-response-sparks-revival-in-once-despised-plastics-industry/
https://1buv.com/chaotic-covid-response-sparks-revival-in-once-despised-plastics-industry/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 02:00:52 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298282We penned a piece last week describing how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended single-use disposable items (i.e., plasticware: plastic cups, dishes, straws, and utensils) to all restaurants across the country for reopening. It certainly seemed odd, and a little illogical, that, somehow, single-use food-service items would replace traditional restaurant ware, all because the government said it would limit the spread […]

We penned a piece last week describing how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended single-use disposable items (i.e., plasticware: plastic cups, dishes, straws, and utensils) to all restaurants across the country for reopening.

It certainly seemed odd, and a little illogical, that, somehow, single-use food-service items would replace traditional restaurant ware, all because the government said it would limit the spread of COVID-19.

Maybe Gov. Gavin Newsom was right when he questioned surface transmission of the virus and blamed plastic and petrochemical manufacturers for “trying to influence CDC guidelines for reopening food establishments in their favor.”

If you’ve noticed, the use of plastics has increased during the pandemic, from restaurants to grocery stores, plastic is back in a very big way because the government says its more sanitary.

While COVID-19 seemingly survives on all surfaces, including plastic, plasticware at restaurants is no safer than ceramic dishware and metal utensils, which, by the way, are properly cleaned and sanitized.

So if that’s the case, there must be another reason why the CDC is pushing the use of plastics, using the pandemic as a cover, and the reason is simple, as Newsom said above: plastic and petrochemical manufacturers are influencing government guidelines.

Why would the government allow big oil to influence policy? Well, President Trump has been a cheerleader of the energy sector, pledging several months ago when crude prices crashed into negative territory for the first time in history to “never let the great U.S. Oil & Gas Industry down.”

The energy industry’s bet on a petrochemical boom to support future sales growth has proven disastrous as an already saturated plastic market was hit by a virus demand shock.

Domestic and international plastic prices have been in a several-year decline, even before the pandemic, which as of recent, forced Dow Inc to idle three US plants producing polyethylene, the base material for plastic bags and bottles.

“The petrochemicals world has been hit by a double whammy,” said Utpal Sheth, Executive Director, Chemical and Plastics Insights at data firm IHS Markit.

“Capital investment has been slashed by all companies. This will delay the projects under construction and new projects,” Sheth said.

A Royal Dutch Shell’s plastics project in Pennsylvania, touted by President Trump last year, is facing severe oversupply conditions as plastic prices tumble.

“Even before the coronavirus outbreak, we were already expecting to see various petrochemical value chains … heading into an oversupply situation,” said Catherine Tan, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

Despite the bearish outlook for the plastics industry (because there’s no V-shaped recovery in the global economy this year), the government’s recommendation for the entire restaurant industry to use plasticware to combat the virus certainly suggests big oil influenced the new guidelines. Further, it’s still debatable if wearing a mask can completely shield the wearer from COVID-19, but if you didn’t know — polypropylene is the main ingredient in surgical and 3M N95 masks.

The use of plastics for “personal protective equipment and takeaway food containers has boosted sales of some plastics, it is likely to be only a temporary spike,” Reuters notes. Still, weekly plastics prices in Houston are depressed:

Low Density Polyethylene Houston Weekly Prices (widely used for manufacturing containers, dispensing bottles, wash bottles, tubing, plastic parts for computer components, and molded laboratory equipment; Its most common use is in plastic bags)

As for the international prices of plastics, the downtrend was very well defined before the pandemic.

High Density Polyethylene Far East Asia Weekly Prices (widely used for the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes and plastic lumber)

Polypropylene Far East Asia Weekly Prices (widely used for packaging for consumer products, plastic parts for various industries including the automotive industry, special devices like living hinges, and textiles)

What could be clear is that big oil is influencing government policies in a post-corona world to increase the use of plastics since the industry has been thrown into oversupplied conditions with plunging prices. Plastic use for automobiles and consumer goods declined way before the pandemic and crashed during lockdowns. So the industry had to find new ways to boost demand — hence, unleash an ingenious psychological operation, perhaps in conjunction with the government, of how plastics will save your life through using plasticware at restaurants and grocery stores and mask-wearing.

]]>https://1buv.com/chaotic-covid-response-sparks-revival-in-once-despised-plastics-industry/feed/0Minneapolis Mayor Forced to Leave Protest for Refusing to Defund Policehttps://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-forced-to-leave-protest-for-refusing-to-defund-police/
https://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-forced-to-leave-protest-for-refusing-to-defund-police/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:50:26 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298279Minneapolis protesters told Mayor Jacob Frey (D) he was no longer welcome to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd — an African-American man who died in police custody in the city — after he refused to commit to defunding its police department. Footage shared to social media shows a masked Frey, who is under […]

Minneapolis protesters told Mayor Jacob Frey (D) he was no longer welcome to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd — an African-American man who died in police custody in the city — after he refused to commit to defunding its police department.

Footage shared to social media shows a masked Frey, who is under fire from both Republicans and Democrats over his response to protests and violent unrest, telling a crowd of protesters that he believes the city’s police department must undergo “structural reforms” and that a “systemic, racist system needs to be revamped.”

Then, one speaker pressed Frey on whether he would defund the police, asking him: “We have a yes or no question for you. Yes or no, will you commit to defunding the Minneapolis Police Department?

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showed up today at the protests. He was asked if he would commit to abolishing/defunding the police. Incredible to witness crowd hold him directly accountable. Man did a literal walk of shame. pic.twitter.com/v645mfIZHt

The speaker continued before Frey could respond: “We don’t want any more police, is that clear? We don’t want people with guns in our communities, shooting us down. Do you have an answer? It is a yes or a no.”

“If he says ‘no,’ guess what the fuck we are going to do next year,” the protester added, referring to the mayor being up for re-election next year.

Frey responded “I do not support abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department,” prompting the protester who asked him the question to shout “get the fuck outta here” at him.

Multiple protesters then began to boo Frey loudly and chant “go home Jacob, go home!”

Additional footage shows a downcast Frey then departing the protests amid more booes and chants of “shame!”

On Thursday, Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender vowed the council will “dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.” Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, echoed Bender’s pledge.

“We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response. It’s really past due,” he tweeted.

The following day, Frey signed off on various changes to the police department after an injunction was filed by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which sought a ban on chokeholds and for officers to report unauthorized use of force.

This week, “Squad” members Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined calls to “defund the police” in the wake of Floyd’s death.

“The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform,” Omar wrote on social media Friday. “It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis.”

Hours later, Ocasio-Cortez said in a congressional primary debate that she is “actively engaged in advocacy” for a “reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $6 billion NYPD budget that costs us books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in NYCHA [New York City Housing Authority] and public housing.”

Last Thursday, demonstrators set fire to a police precinct building in the Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd died Monday after he was restrained by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck.

Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a grocery store.

The 3rd precinct building had been evacuated by order of Frey, who said he was unwilling to endanger lives to protect the building.

“I understand the importance of a precinct,” he said. “[But] the symbolism of a building cannot outweigh the importance of life, of our officers, or the public. We could not risk serious injury to anyone and we will continue to patrol the third precinct entirely.”

By 4:30 a.m. last Friday, protesters and looters were still out on the streets in the neighborhood as several nearby commercial buildings burned unchecked.

As Breitbart News reported: “Minneapolis already suffers from high violent crime rates. In Minneapolis, every 8.15 residents per 1,000 is a violent crime victim. Compare that to the state of Minnesota overall, where only 2.2 residents per 1,000 become a violent crime victim.”

]]>https://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-forced-to-leave-protest-for-refusing-to-defund-police/feed/0Tucker Rips Healthcare Workers Who Signed Letter Exempting George Floyd Protests From COVID Lockdowns – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/tucker-rips-healthcare-workers-who-signed-letter-exempting-george-floyd-protests-from-covid-lockdowns-newswars/
https://1buv.com/tucker-rips-healthcare-workers-who-signed-letter-exempting-george-floyd-protests-from-covid-lockdowns-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:42:38 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298275Fox News host Tucker Carlson took a flamethrower to the thousands of healthcare professionals who signed a letter of approval for the Black Lives Matter protests because they claim “white nationalism” is also a public health crisis. Carlson explained on Friday how only few weeks ago, Americans were ordered to essentially surrender their rights and […]

Fox News host Tucker Carlson took a flamethrower to the thousands of healthcare professionals who signed a letter of approval for the Black Lives Matter protests because they claim “white nationalism” is also a public health crisis.

Carlson explained on Friday how only few weeks ago, Americans were ordered to essentially surrender their rights and livelihoods in the naming of public health amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But now, 1,200 healthcare workers signed onto a letter condemning defiance of stay-at-home orders with the exception of Black Lives Matter protests because “those actions not only oppose public health interventions, but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives,” the letter said.

Carlson called them out on their lying and virtue-signaling.

“In other words, anybody who complains about being locked down is a racist, except the people who refuse to be locked down because they are protesting racism. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose,” Carlson said.

“These are public health officials,” he continued. “This is insanity. Just days ago you were told that any kind of gathering could kill thousands of people. You would be a murderer. You would be a genocidal murderer. That is before we learned that viruses have their own woke political agenda and the only rallies we should ban are those being held by people who have the wrong ideas, people who want to earn a living or go to church. Those protests are racism. Oh.”

“But this is a sham,” Carlson concluded. “It was a front for tyrants to inflict their personal neuroses and their desire for control on the United States of America and to do it outside the democratic process, outside democratic norms. Every person who signed this letter is a faker, none of them represents science, we should never listen to any of them again.”

Day 79 of America Held Hostage – Data from states that have re-Opened exposes the fraud and failure of lockdown as Italians take to the streets in anger of the scam

]]>https://1buv.com/tucker-rips-healthcare-workers-who-signed-letter-exempting-george-floyd-protests-from-covid-lockdowns-newswars/feed/0The Establishment Only Dislikes Trump Because He Puts An Ugly Face On The Empirehttps://1buv.com/the-establishment-only-dislikes-trump-because-he-puts-an-ugly-face-on-the-empire/
https://1buv.com/the-establishment-only-dislikes-trump-because-he-puts-an-ugly-face-on-the-empire/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:40:18 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298271Authored by Caitlin Johnstone via Medium.com, Barack Obama has given his perfunctory speech about the Black Lives Matter protests taking place in America today, and it was every bit as full of pretty words and empty of actual substance… President Obama: “I want to acknowledge the folks in law enforcement that share the goals of reimagining policing.” […]

…as you’d expect from a president who spent eight years stagnating the progressive movement with empty hope narrative while advancing the same murderous oppressive agendas as his predecessors.

The former president talked about changes that need to be made as though he wasn’t the most powerful politician in America for two full terms, praised the nation’s police officers saying “the vast majority” of them protect and serve the people, and encouraged them to continue making empty gestures of solidarity with the protesters to calm them down.

“I want to acknowledge the folks in law enforcement that share the goals of re-imagining policing,” Obama said. “Because there are folks out there who took their oath to serve your communities to your countries [who] have a tough job, and I know you’re just as outraged about the tragedies in the recent weeks as are many of the protesters. So we’re grateful for the vast majority of you who protect and serve. I’ve been heartened to see those in law enforcement who recognize, ‘Let me march along with these protestors. Let me stand side by side and recognize that I want to be part of the solution,’ and have shown restraint and volunteered and engaged and listened because you’re a vital part of the conversation, and change is going to require everyone’s participation.”

George W Bush also weighed in on the protests, with the “compassionate conservative” who murdered a million Iraqis sending liberals throughout the Twitterverse into fits of ecstasy with his emotional plea for “empathy, and shared commitment, and bold action, and a peace rooted in justice.”

Establishment narrative managers on both sides of America’s imaginary partisan divide have been saturating the mass media with gushing praise for the two former presidents and their wonderful words of healing and unity, and indeed, the words are quite nice. They will change exactly nothing, but they sound nice.

And that is exactly what a US president’s real job is.

Not to end police brutality and systemic racism, not to make changes which benefit the American people, and certainly not to make the world a less violent and murderous place, but to say pretty words which lull the public into a pleasant propaganda-induced coma while the sociopathic oligarchs who really run things rob them blind.

And that, right there, is the one and only reason why certain elements of the establishment do not like President Trump.

Whenever I point out the many, many evil establishment agendas that have been advanced by the current US president, I always get Trump supporters asking me “Well if he’s serving the establishment, how come establishment media and politicians attack him so hysterically, huh?”

This is why. At first glance it might seem strange to see Democrats and their aligned media shrieking about Trump with such an unprecedented degree of vitriol, but they aren’t doing this because Trump resists the establishment in any meaningful way on domestic or foreign policy; he provides no significant resistance to toxic establishment agendas at all. The reason there’s been such shrill, hysterical rhetoric about this president from establishment narrative managers is because unlike his predecessors, Trump puts an ugly face on the empire.

People who have dedicated their lives to advancing the interests of the oligarchic empire see Trump as an incompetent manager whose oafish, ham-fisted approach to his role risks drawing attention to the evil things the empire does. The US police force, for example, hasn’t gotten any more brutal or racist since Trump has been in office, he just hasn’t been able to manage events and narratives competently to keep the peasants from waking up and revolting.

Establishment narrative managers understand how to skilfully manipulate public perception without being obvious about it, and they understand how easily an incompetent steward of empire can snap people out of their propaganda trance. They therefore dislike Trump for the same reason a new mother dislikes a noisy neighbor: they’ll wake the baby. They don’t dislike Trump because he does good things, and they certainly don’t dislike Trump because he does bad things. They dislike Trump because he does bad things in a way that startles the people out of their sleep.

That’s the real reason the political/media class has been behaving so weird the last four years. It isn’t because Trump’s not a loyal empire lackey (he is), it isn’t because he’s a Russian secret agent (he’s not), and it isn’t because he’s a uniquely depraved president (he’s not). It’s because he allows people to see the perverse mechanics of a globe-sprawling murderous empire for the sick, evil thing that it actually is. That and nothing more.

]]>https://1buv.com/the-establishment-only-dislikes-trump-because-he-puts-an-ugly-face-on-the-empire/feed/0Bill Gates Polio Vaccine in India Story is Bullshit – Veterans Todayhttps://1buv.com/bill-gates-polio-vaccine-in-india-story-is-bullshit-veterans-today/
https://1buv.com/bill-gates-polio-vaccine-in-india-story-is-bullshit-veterans-today/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:35:51 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298263[Editor’s note: So many people in the West appear utterly convinced that ‘evil billionaire’ Bill Gates caused nearly half a million Indian children to be crippled with his evil vaccine.The fact that almost none of these Westerners appear to have thought to check what the Indians themselves have to say on the matter just shows […]

[Editor’s note: So many people in the West appear utterly convinced that ‘evil billionaire’ Bill Gates caused nearly half a million Indian children to be crippled with his evil vaccine.The fact that almost none of these Westerners appear to have thought to check what the Indians themselves have to say on the matter just shows the deeply ingrained intellectual arrogance imbued in much of the West.

India is far from the British subject it once was, it is a thriving rapidly developing vibrant nation that has a traditional of Ayurvedic Medicine dating back thousands of years,just look at how they have efficiently and successfully handled the Covid-19 pandemic, even in the poorest states such as Kerala.

Not everything in the modern world is a conspiracy, so if the Indians aren’t complaining about Bill Gates, then Westerners should damn well take notice. Ian]

Bill and Melinda Gates have been targeted by anti-vaxxers for long time for his work on vaccination. Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has donated funds to GAVI foundation, an organisation in forefront of making vaccination available to countries who can’t afford it for its population.

In light of this, posts were shared on social media platforms with the claim that their foundation had tested a polio vaccine in India that left at least 490,000 children paralyzed. “Bill Gates foundation tested a polio vax in India between 2000 & 2017 and paralysed 496,000 children,” reads one such post dated April 13, 2020.

The post was shared over 17,000 times. Similar posts which claimed that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was asked to leave India also circulated in April and May on Facebook here, here and here.

Fact Check: The claim is misleading. According to a report by PolitiFact, the claim can be traced back to an Instagram post by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of former US president John F. Kennedy and a leader of the World Mercury Project on April 7.

World Mercury Project, a group headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a California-based organization has been vocal against vaccines. Further, they are one of the biggest sources of anti-vaccine advertisements on Facebook.

“Indian doctors blame the Gates campaign for a devastating vaccine-strain polio epidemic that paralyzed 496,000 children between 2000 and 2017,” Kennedy wrote.

In an email correspondence with Politifact, the Gates Foundation has debunked the claims. According to a report by WHO, India was officially declared polio-free in 2014.

Further, no evidence could be found which proved that almost half a million Indian children were given polio or suffered from paralysis due to vaccine-derived polioviruses.

“Over the past 10 years, more than 10 billion doses of Oral poliovirus vaccines (OPV) have been administered to over 2.5 billion children worldwide, preventing more than 10 million polio cases during that period,” reads another report by WHO. However, the World Health Organization does mention that it is possible to contract polio from vaccines but it is extremely rare.

According to the agency 1 in 2.7 million oral doses results in vaccine-associated paralytic polio. Although there have been reports of contaminated vaccine even after the eradication of polio in India. The data from the WHO show that there were 17 cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases recorded in India between 2000 and 2017.

The data shows that cases were recorded in India only in 2009 and 2010, as seen in the screenshots below, in which cVDPV (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus). Therefore it can be ascertained that the claims made in the viral posts are false.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Ian Greenhalgh is a photographer and historian with a particular interest in military history and the real causes of conflicts.

His studies in history and background in the media industry have given him a keen insight into the use of mass media as a creator of conflict in the modern world.

His favored areas of study include state-sponsored terrorism, media manufactured reality and the role of intelligence services in manipulation of populations and the perception of events.

ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content, VT cannot guarantee content validity.We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT’s independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news, opinion and media.

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT.

]]>https://1buv.com/bill-gates-polio-vaccine-in-india-story-is-bullshit-veterans-today/feed/0JK Rowling gets denounced as transphobe AGAIN — RT World Newshttps://1buv.com/jk-rowling-gets-denounced-as-transphobe-again-rt-world-news/
https://1buv.com/jk-rowling-gets-denounced-as-transphobe-again-rt-world-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:35:46 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298259British author J.K. Rowling is being denounced for insisting there is such a thing as biological sex, for the second time in six months, by the very woke brigades who previously idolized the ‘Harry Potter’ creator and her books. Rowling got the avalanche rolling on Saturday evening, tweeting her incredulity about an article mentioning “people […]

British author J.K. Rowling is being denounced for insisting there is such a thing as biological sex, for the second time in six months, by the very woke brigades who previously idolized the ‘Harry Potter’ creator and her books.

‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA

She received over 10,000 replies in just a couple of hours, ranging from rage to pleading.

“There are trans men & non-binary people who menstruate you absolute wilting head of lettuce,”said one. “Stop hating trans people you awful weirdo,” said another.

“Your words are causing unimaginable pain. I implore you to listen to trans voices whose lives you’ve changed,” was one of the less hostile reactions.

“You’re literally becoming a villain in your own book,” said immigration activist Patti Harrison, after basically calling Rowling a racist for using a particular Chinese name in her ‘Harry Potter’ books.

kidding, of course! I wonder if you see yourself as a thoughtful, empathetic person who still has room to grow, or if the ~*kind, thoughtful*~ JK Rowling has capped her learning on Earth since she got… rich? You’re literally becoming a villain in your own book LOL

The series about teenage witches and wizards in a British boarding school, turned Rowling from a struggling Scottish single mother to an international bestselling author, and an idol of millions of Potter fans across the globe.

Her relatively “woke” politics – relentless criticism of US President Donald Trump in particular – made her into somewhat of an icon of the online Resistance as well. At least until last December, when Rowling spoke up for a British woman fired from her job for the crime of saying that biological sex existed.

Yet Rowling has refused to apologize under the barrage of criticism, instead elaborating her position in a series of tweets.

“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives,” she wrote.

It isn’t hate to speak the truth.

While she respects “every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable,” Rowling explained, “At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”

I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.

When the insults and accusations kept coming, however, Rowling became more taciturn, responding to someone accusing her of being a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) by saying, “Times change. Woman-hate is eternal.”

Violent clashes between police and protesters have led to a large number of allegations of police misconduct.

After one of the most volatile mass protests in the city’s recent memory sparked by the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Chicago police are investigating at least one officer for covering up his badge number and name tag.

Images and video circulating on social media show police officers who appear to have either taped over the name tags on their uniforms and badge star numbers or removed them entirely. In a statement to the The Chicago Reporter Wednesday evening, the Chicago Police Department condemned the practice.

“All Chicago Police Officers are required to wear their unit assignment designator, nameplate and prescribed star so that they are clearly visible. An internal investigation has been opened into the officer who was photographed without his unit assignment designator and nameplate and with his star number covered. CPD holds its officers to the highest professional standards and violations of the Department’s policy will be addressed,” the department said in a statement.

Concealing those elements of a uniform, or failing to correctly identify themselves, is specifically prohibited byat leasttwoChicago Police directives.

But the Reporter has obtained images andvideothat suggest multiple CPD officers may have been engaging in the inappropriate practice of hiding their names star numbers, which are the unique identifying numbers on an officer’s badge.

Wilkins said once he and some other protestors began complaining, the officer removed the tape from the badge.

“It’s scary,” he said, “Because many officers weren’t even wearing their body cams [sic] and making it harder to identify them is very concerning.”

Ald. Andre Vasquez said Wednesday his office fielded calls about the “shameful” practice all day and he brought it up at City Hall during a meeting of the Committee on Public Safety.

“It says a lot about folks who think they need to tape up their badge,” he said. “What kind of activity does an officer plan on doing that they cover up their badge?”

Vasquez said his office asked the Lightfoot administration about the practice on Tuesday.

“People want to equate us asking questions as if these aren’t serious matters,” he said. “There is a history of inappropriate policing in Chicago. There is a reason why the tension here was different.”

On Monday,video surfaced on social mediathat showed a Chicago police officer beating a man in Uptown during a demonstration. Ephraim Eaddy, a spokesman for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability,told the Chicago Sun-Timesthe independent monitor received 82 complaints over the weekend.

On Tuesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged in herState of the City speechthat “the process of reform has been too slow and too narrowly focused,” and pledged to institute immediate steps toward reform within the next 90 days including community-centered and de-escalation training, and mental health support for officers.

In a statement to the Reporter, Chicago’s chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police said they “do not make the CPD policy nor make the department orders so we can’t speak for CPD.”

The Reporter asked CPD about the images and video that show multiple officers engaging in the practice, and whether there would be a more comprehensive investigation beyond just one officer.

“All allegations that we are made aware of will be addressed,” they said in a statement.

But CPD did not immediately respond to questions about how many allegations they were aware of.

Lightfoot’s office said she strongly condemned the practice.

“Wearing nameplates in uniform is the most universal form of transparency and accountability when it comes to policing. All Chicago Police officers are required to wear and make visible their unit assignment designator, nameplate and prescribed star. Should any officer be found in violation of these policies, we will ensure that they will be held fully accountable,” her office said in a statement Wednesday.

]]>https://1buv.com/chicago-police-investigation-into-officer-covering-up-name-tag-badge-number/feed/0Video: Another Day of Protest in Washington DC as White House Fences Erected Earlier Extendedhttps://1buv.com/video-another-day-of-protest-in-washington-dc-as-white-house-fences-erected-earlier-extended/
https://1buv.com/video-another-day-of-protest-in-washington-dc-as-white-house-fences-erected-earlier-extended/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:25:35 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298253As protests over the death of George Floyd and against police brutality continue across the United States, a portion of a street near the White House has been officially renamed ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ by the administration of Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Amid Washington DC streets flooded with protesters, an estimated 3 kilometre (1.7 […]

As protests over the death of George Floyd and against police brutality continue across the United States, a portion of a street near the White House has been officially renamed ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ by the administration of Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.

People continue to arrive at the site, occasionally blocking traffic. The largely peaceful crowds have attempted to proceed as far as the fences now constructed around the White House grounds allow them.

The scene outside the White House right now — or as close as anyone can get, given the massive fencing — where the crowds stretch as thick and as far as I can see.

It’s the 9th day. I’ve heard so many people mention sore feet and sunburn and exhaustion. But they’re here anyway. pic.twitter.com/oQ1zYdFjA9

Absolutely massive crowds in front of and surrounding the White House right now. I haven’t seen anything even remotely like this in my last four days of covering the #GeorgeFloyd protests pic.twitter.com/rUkQgD4XW1

​Protesters also gathered on a part of the street that has been officially renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza by the administration of Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to protest against widespread police brutality in the US and to honor the memory of George Floyd. People can be seen drawing signs and play drums at the site.

​Bowser herself took part in the demonstrations, wearing a green facemask that said “hope” and a T-shirt with the words “We are DC”. The mayor gave a short speech, expressing support to peaceful protests and remarked that she wants her own daughter “to grow up in the country where she is not scared to go to the grocery store”. Bowser also announced that “today we pushed the army away from our city”, while the crowd cheered and applauded.

“On Black Lives Matter Plaza, we said ‘no’. In November, we say ‘next'”, she said.

​Anti-police-brutality protests have been occurring in all 50 of the United States for over a week, as well as in almost every major city, sparked by the killing of George Floyd on 25 May in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin and three counterparts. All four are currently under arrest.

]]>https://1buv.com/video-another-day-of-protest-in-washington-dc-as-white-house-fences-erected-earlier-extended/feed/014 Great Black TV Shows and Movies to Watch and Celebrate Right Nowhttps://1buv.com/14-great-black-tv-shows-and-movies-to-watch-and-celebrate-right-now/
https://1buv.com/14-great-black-tv-shows-and-movies-to-watch-and-celebrate-right-now/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:15:20 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298250This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by senior entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here. There are many tools at our disposal to activate, demand change, inform, and amplify right now, including your television. There is […]

This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by senior entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here.

There are many tools at our disposal to activate, demand change, inform, and amplify right now, including your television. There is no equating it to the work being done on the streets, in protests, at the ballot box, through petitions and grassroots campaigns, and with donations. But there is action and amplification—and therefore change you can advocate for—through the content choices you make.

Now, especially, is a time to celebrate black lives and the work of black creators, whose output is so often marginalized and dismissed, and whose barriers to success are systemically higher. Make the choice to engage through empathy with these characters, learn through their experiences, and, most importantly, signal through your viewership that these creators and these stories matter.

HBO’s new series, I May Destroy You, which premieres Sunday, is a great start.

The series, from Ghanaian-British creator-actress Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum), makes masterful use of her intense screen presence, keen eye for comedy, and sharp pulse on both the extremism and the extreme nuances of modern social issues.

It’s a provocative, invigorating, and remarkably shaded look at consent and sexual assault, covering a huge swath of the conversation but rooting it in one specific story: Coel’s character, Arabella, piecing together the details of the night she was raped. It consistently goes places you don’t expect and tackles the issue from angles you don’t see coming, all centered around a performance from Coel that is thrillingly unpredictable.

It premieres Sunday night after Insecure on HBO, which is our next recommendation. Insecure’s creators posted this message to fans last weekend: “We hope this celebration of Black life, love, and community can provide some solace to anyone hurting or needs a laugh.” It’s been a standout season of the series, with some of its bravest writing and best performances—easily one of the best shows airing on television right now.

If you’re looking for something activating to watch on Netflix, there’s Ava DuVernay’s documentary about the incarceration crisis, The 13th.Her limited series about the Exonerated Five, When They See Us, is also on the streaming platform, as isAmerican Son, starring Kerry Washington, the searing dramedy seriesDear White People, and the genre-bending teen drama See You Yesterday. You can also stream Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight on the service.

Jenkins’ sensationalIf Beale Street Could Talk is on Hulu, as is the underappreciatedSorry to Bother Youfrom Boots Riley and Regina Hall’s award-worthy performance in Support the Girls. The Lakeith Stanfield-Issa Rae romantic drama The Photograph is on demand. The Hate U Giveis on Cinemax.Native Son is available to watch on HBO and its streaming services.

Watch these things. Discover more—there’s so much more. Yes, it’s just a gesture, but it is one that’s worth something.

People are processing what is happening right now in their own individual ways. That became horrifyingly clear this week when the Black Eyed Peas song “Where Is the Love?” re-entered the iTunes single chart and The Help began trending on Netflix. Truly the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad of entertainment choices for this moment.

Ben & Jerry’s…Gets It???

A lot of brands posted a lot of dumbass statements this week, hamfistedly attempting to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests and/or prove they are not racist. Ben & Jerry’s was not one of them.

It is not an exaggeration when I say that I would vote Ben and his buddy Jerry into office—or, more realistically, whoever from their communications team drafted their protest response. Pepsi did not solve racism, but Chunky Monkey is sure as hell doing its part.

There are so many more important things to talk about right now, but if anyone else has more gossip about Lea Michele to dish, I’ll just say it might be your civic duty to share it and give people who are weathering so much the juicy drama they crave.

What to watch this week:

I May Destroy You: It’s prickly and uncomfortable, which is why you should watch.

]]>https://1buv.com/14-great-black-tv-shows-and-movies-to-watch-and-celebrate-right-now/feed/0Amid Brutal Responses To Protesters, Will Moments Of Solidarity Bring Real Change? : NPRhttps://1buv.com/amid-brutal-responses-to-protesters-will-moments-of-solidarity-bring-real-change-npr/
https://1buv.com/amid-brutal-responses-to-protesters-will-moments-of-solidarity-bring-real-change-npr/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:15:08 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298239Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo (right) kneels as the hearse of George Floyd arrives to North Central University ahead of funeral service on Thursday. Protests in the wake of Floyd’s death while in police custody has erupted across the country. The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im hide caption toggle caption The Washington Post/The […]

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo (right) kneels as the hearse of George Floyd arrives to North Central University ahead of funeral service on Thursday. Protests in the wake of Floyd’s death while in police custody has erupted across the country.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

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The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo (right) kneels as the hearse of George Floyd arrives to North Central University ahead of funeral service on Thursday. Protests in the wake of Floyd’s death while in police custody has erupted across the country.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

The nationwide demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s killing have been met at times with heavy-handed police tactics that include beatings, the use of tear gas and rubber bullets fired into crowds.

But the clashes also have been punctuated by fleeting gestures of unity and peace between the two sides.

In a handful of cities large and small, from Miami to Schenectady, N.Y., to Portland, Ore., some officers have knelt in solidarity, and a few have even marched with protesters demanding police reforms.

There are activists who dismiss these moments as merely symbolic, media-savvy moves meant to distract from what they say are the profound structural problems in American policing.

Others, however, say they mark a potentially important opening: the start of a more substantive dialogue.

“Somebody in the crowd shouted, ‘They need to kneel, too.’ And then they knelt,” says Florida activist Oshea Johnson of a recent protest march in Coral Gables, Fla.

The University of Miami sociology graduate student, and first-time protest organizer, says he was taken aback when scores of Miami-Dade County Police leaders and some rank-and-file officers quietly and spontaneously took a knee with the 300 or so protesters who’d marched to City Hall.

“That moment was very powerful for me,” Johnson says, “Like my eyes teared up. It was this moment of ‘I’m with you. I feel your pain.’ And maybe, even if not all the chiefs, you know, felt that way, I think that it was a moment of humility, of humanity. I think that’s what made it powerful. I tried to embrace that moment because I’d never seen that happen.”

A protestor kneels and raises his hand in front of a line of riot police during a protest against police brutality in Miami on May 30, in response to the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by police.

adam Delgiudice /AFP via Getty Images

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adam Delgiudice /AFP via Getty Images

A protestor kneels and raises his hand in front of a line of riot police during a protest against police brutality in Miami on May 30, in response to the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by police.

adam Delgiudice /AFP via Getty Images

Was it genuine? It’s led to virtual meetings set up by police leaders with activists, civil rights groups and others to hear them out about community and police concerns.

It’s a start, Johnson says.

“We knew that we had to follow-up,” he says. “We want to keep not only the conversation going, but trying to push for reform because we think the time is at its peak right now where we can really try to push for the reforms that we want.”

Topping the change list, he says, is implementing quarterly, verifiable anti-bias training for all area police officers and robust countywide civilian oversight with subpoena power.

But elsewhere many activists are skeptical, especially given the ongoing harsh police responses to largely peaceful protests. They see the take-a-knee-in-solidary gestures as emotionally manipulative and largely meaningless.

“When the police take a knee, not only do I not take it seriously, it’s disingenuous,” says Patrisse Cullors a veteran Los Angeles-based activist and artist who played a key role in founding the Black Lives Matter movement. Cullors has been pushing for years to stop the criminalization of homelessness, the incarceration of the mentally ill, and police abuse of power.

“We need radical shifts, we need transformation,” Cullors tells NPR. “These things don’t happen through police taking a knee at protests and then right after, they take a knee getting up and tear gassing and rubber bulleting us and beating us with batons.”

A Detroit Police officer uses tear-gas during a protest in the Detroit, on May 29, 2020.

Seth Herald /AFP via Getty Images

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A Detroit Police officer uses tear-gas during a protest in the Detroit, on May 29, 2020.

Seth Herald /AFP via Getty Images

In a few instances, the police gestures have gone beyond taking a knee.

A powerful moment of police-protester unity was when the sheriff of Genesee County, Mich., which includes Flint, told protesters his officers aren’t like those four Minneapolis cops who are accused of killing George Floyd.

Last weekend Sheriff Chris Swanson took off his helmet, his officers put down their batons, and he addressed the crowd.

He believes that moment, for Flint, Mich., anyway, will prove to be a break through. Swanson says that moment has already changed the way he runs his agency.

“We need to reform modern day policing like it’s never been done before,” he says. “We can’t just have a one night and then be done and go back to where it used to be and continue to give empty promises.”

He has already met with reformers to start talking through what needs to change and how to do it. And he’s pledged to meet with them weekly.

He hopes other departments take similar steps.

“Do we need to have a national registry of police discipline? That’s a great idea,” Swanson says. “Do we need to have an overall advisory committee with a community for each agency? That’s a great idea. Because if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”

The sheriff believes Floyd’s death “changed American policing forever because I believe there are great police leaders and police agencies who never want to see these dark days again.”

But Floyd’s death hasn’t changed anything substantially about policing, yet.

Advocates say whether it does depends on the collective political and moral will to move beyond that familiar cycle of aspirational reforms – calls for better training, screening and oversight – that have too often failed to stop some cops from humiliating, abusing or killing minorities.

]]>https://1buv.com/amid-brutal-responses-to-protesters-will-moments-of-solidarity-bring-real-change-npr/feed/0Look What Democrats, their Media and the Violent Left Did to Three Great American Cities in JUST ONE WEEKhttps://1buv.com/look-what-democrats-their-media-and-the-violent-left-did-to-three-great-american-cities-in-just-one-week/
https://1buv.com/look-what-democrats-their-media-and-the-violent-left-did-to-three-great-american-cities-in-just-one-week/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 01:07:36 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298236For the past week the left has been protesting, rioting, looting, shooting officers, beating innocents, torching national landmarks across the United States. This is the fruit of the American left: pain, chaos, suffering, violence, fear and arson. Their mob violence has spread across the country. Tonight we want to highlight what liberal Democrat leadership has done […]

2.) New York City – Under de Blasio — You won’t believe Manahattan this week!The media won’t show it.

3.) St. Louis – Looks like war zone AfghanistanThis was St. Louis, Missouri on Monday night.

This is right near a restaurant I frequent in St. Louis. Sustained fighting for over 7 hours.

This isn’t a protest, this isn’t solving any injustice, this is the result of leftist media and celebrities encouraging divisive racism and violence to hurt the country and thus Trump. pic.twitter.com/ngF59BWx5b

]]>https://1buv.com/look-what-democrats-their-media-and-the-violent-left-did-to-three-great-american-cities-in-just-one-week/feed/0Broncos Support Black Lives Matter, Lead Denver Protest Marchhttps://1buv.com/broncos-support-black-lives-matter-lead-denver-protest-march/
https://1buv.com/broncos-support-black-lives-matter-lead-denver-protest-march/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:56:15 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298233Wearing black shirts that said, “If You Ain’t With Us, You Against Us,” dozens of Denver Broncos players, coaches, and staff, led a Black Lives Matter protest in Denver on Saturday. The group was also joined by front office members such as CEO Joe Ellis. Head coach Vic Fangio also joined the protest. It does […]

Wearing black shirts that said, “If You Ain’t With Us, You Against Us,” dozens of Denver Broncos players, coaches, and staff, led a Black Lives Matter protest in Denver on Saturday.

The group was also joined by front office members such as CEO Joe Ellis. Head coach Vic Fangio also joined the protest. It does not appear that General Manager John Elway took part.

“We’re out here as players … to be an agent of change with policy and really taking part in the way this country works,” linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu told the crowd. “And that’s the only way we’re going to fix things — is if we use our voices to speak out on policies and things that are not allowing our people to be successful to have a chance in life. We can’t keep putting a Band-Aid on an old wound.”

“Safety Kareem Jackson was the driving force behind the team’s participation in the event,” ESPN reports. “During a session with local media earlier in the week, Jackson had said he and his teammates were trying to find a way to get involved in protests that have happened daily in downtown Denver since George Floyd was killed on May 25 in Minneapolis.”

Former police officer Derek Chauvin faces second-degree murder charges after he placed his knee on the neck of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man, for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The incident was captured on video and led to more than a week of riots and protests across the country.

“The time is always right to do what’s right,” linebacker Von Miller said. “Once we have awareness, we gotta come up out of oblivion. … We’ve got to use our moral compass to make decisions on what’s right. Black, white — it doesn’t matter.”

Broncos coach Vic Fangio made headlines earlier this week when he said that he didn’t see racism in the NFL. Fangio quickly apologized for the remark.

]]>https://1buv.com/broncos-support-black-lives-matter-lead-denver-protest-march/feed/0UCSB Professor Uses Religion Class To Teach About “Error” Of “American Exceptionalism”https://1buv.com/ucsb-professor-uses-religion-class-to-teach-about-error-of-american-exceptionalism/
https://1buv.com/ucsb-professor-uses-religion-class-to-teach-about-error-of-american-exceptionalism/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:49:19 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298227Authored by Clay Robinson via Campus Reform, A professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara who gave a lecture on the “error of American Exceptionalism,” says coronavirus is just one piece of evidence of America’s shortcomings. Rudy Busto teaches a course titled Asian American Studies/Religious Studies 71: Introduction to Asian American Religion. Toward the end of […]

A professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara who gave a lecture on the “error of American Exceptionalism,” says coronavirus is just one piece of evidence of America’s shortcomings.

Rudy Busto teaches a course titled Asian American Studies/Religious Studies 71: Introduction to Asian American Religion. Toward the end of the spring semester, Busto posted a lecture on “American Civil Religion,” during which he proceeded to explain to the class how “history has dispelled the notion of American Exceptionalism.”

WATCH:

Busto’s examples as proof for this claim included “losing the Vietnam War,” the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the “ongoing, unwinnable wars in the Middle East’,” and even the United States’ coronavirus death toll and case count.

“The escalation of coronavirus cases and deaths in the United States, currently the most of any other country has reported, is a blow to our ego, certainly to our current administration’s ego,” Busto said during his lecture.

According to Busto, “American Exceptionalism” is a “culturally hegemonic” idea, which seeks to “manufacture consent” by the “dominant class.”

“Cultural hegemony,” according to Busto, is “the idea that dominant ideas and beliefs and society are promoted by the dominant class as a way to maintain control.”

Busto suggested that the notion that “socialism is unacceptable for the United States” is a similarly culturally hegemonic idea.

The professor goes on to compare the acceptance of “American Exceptionalism” to the way Americans once accepted slavery as a normal part of society.

Ethan Barcelos, a freshman studying statistical science at UCSB and a student in Busto’s class, told Campus Reform he was initially confused by Busto’s lecture content.

“My first reaction was ‘what does this have to do with this class’. I was under the impression that I would be learning about Asian American Religions, not a litany of the wrongdoings of America,” said Barcelos.

“ I disagree with the notion that believing that America is the best country in the world is Marxist ‘cultural hegemony,’ Barcelos added, saying that the professor “used his claim of this being ‘important context’ as an excuse to bash America and push Marxist propaganda.”

According to the course description of Asian American Studies/Religious Studies 71: Introduction to Asian American Religion, the class is meant to be a “survey of the major themes and issues in Asian American religious history, belief, and practice.”

Busto is an associate professor of religious studies at UCSB. His focus is “approaching religion in North America through the lens of race,” which “allows us to uncover hidden and subjugated histories and actors in American religion.”

His research is based on examining “how the study of religion has itself been structured and shaped by assumptions about race/ethnicity and helps explain the theoretical absence of race as a variable for critical analysis of religion.”

Busto did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment in time of publication.

]]>https://1buv.com/ucsb-professor-uses-religion-class-to-teach-about-error-of-american-exceptionalism/feed/0Sophia Bush Pushes Gun Control Amid Mass Rioting and Lootinghttps://1buv.com/sophia-bush-pushes-gun-control-amid-mass-rioting-and-looting/
https://1buv.com/sophia-bush-pushes-gun-control-amid-mass-rioting-and-looting/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:35:49 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298224Actress Sophia Bush is pushing stricter firearm regulation in the form testing, insurance, and other requirements, all of which would limit law-abiding citizens access to firearms amid mass rioting and looting in response to the police involved death of George Floyd. In fact, her call for more gun control would only impact law-abiding citizens, as lawbreakers […]

Actress Sophia Bush is pushing stricter firearm regulation in the form testing, insurance, and other requirements, all of which would limit law-abiding citizens access to firearms amid mass rioting and looting in response to the police involved death of George Floyd.

In fact, her call for more gun control would only impact law-abiding citizens, as lawbreakers ignore the myriad gun control laws already on the books.

Peoplereports that Bush’s desired gun requirements mirror automobile regulations. She said “It feels a bit mental that we wouldn’t regulate guns in the same way that we regulate cars, for example. You have to pass a test, have insurance, get your qualifications checked.”

Ironically, there are more guns than cars in America and despite the testing, insurance requirements, and qualifications checks, outlined by Bush, cars are involved in more deaths than guns.

There were 310 million guns in the U.S. in 2009 (a Congressional Research Service figure have no reason to dispute), a figure that likely grew to perhaps 350 million by 2013. These guns result in 33,000 deaths in 2013, of which 64% were suicides, leaving 500 accidental deaths and 11,200 due to homicides.

There were 269 million registered vehicles in the U.S. in 2013. These result in 33,000 deaths a year, roughly half of which are drivers (these are official NHTSA statistics).

So, enough deaths resulted from 269 million vehicles to equal the deaths that were caused with 310 million guns, but Bush believes requiring law-abiding citizens to take the same steps for guns as automobiles would make the world safer.

Bush said, “Every single one of us has a platform now — that’s been one of the incredible benefits of the democratization of the internet. If this is important to you, post about it, talk about it. Offer some facts to the people who are in your circle. Figure out how you can have a conversation publicly and how you can have a conversation at home and to make sure that you’re doing both. Your platform is yours, and you can use it for the betterment of society.”

As with Bush’s proposals, the gun controls pushed by Everytown would make it harder for the law-abiding to get the guns they need for self-defense as riots rage.

]]>https://1buv.com/sophia-bush-pushes-gun-control-amid-mass-rioting-and-looting/feed/0Minneapolis Mayor Frey Begs For Bailout After Allowing Rioters To Burn & Loot City For Days – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-frey-begs-for-bailout-after-allowing-rioters-to-burn-loot-city-for-days-newswars/
https://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-frey-begs-for-bailout-after-allowing-rioters-to-burn-loot-city-for-days-newswars/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:28:45 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298220Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) is asking for federal assistance to rebuild the city after he had enabled rioters to sack hundreds of businesses unimpeded for days. Frey had ordered the police to abandon the 3rd precinct station, allowing rioters to burn the facility, as well as refusing to call in the National Guard after […]

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) is asking for federal assistance to rebuild the city after he had enabled rioters to sack hundreds of businesses unimpeded for days.

Frey had ordered the police to abandon the 3rd precinct station, allowing rioters to burn the facility, as well as refusing to call in the National Guard after the protests devolved into violent bedlam following the death of George Floyd.

“We will do everything we can as we shift to recovery mode,” Frey toldThe Star Tribune earlier this week. “We’re recovering from crises sandwiched on top of each other, from COVID-19 to the police killing and then the looting which took place afterward.”

The city estimated that the riots inflicted a minimum of $55 million worth of damage, destroying over 220 buildings.

From The Tribune:

City officials are still putting together a complete tally of the destruction and cautioned that estimates are likely to rise significantly. Gov. Tim Walz and members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation are trying to get government assistance to offset that cost. But in the past, neither the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) nor Congress has consistently sent federal funding to cities ravaged by riots.

Minneapolis City Council members on Tuesday received an update from the city’s Community Planning & Economic Development department that estimated at least 220 buildings had been damaged, resulting in a minimum of $55 million in costs, though the city was “not yet ready to produce a credible estimate” of the losses.

]]>https://1buv.com/minneapolis-mayor-frey-begs-for-bailout-after-allowing-rioters-to-burn-loot-city-for-days-newswars/feed/0Gulf Coast Braces For Tropical Storm Cristobal To Strike On Sundayhttps://1buv.com/gulf-coast-braces-for-tropical-storm-cristobal-to-strike-on-sunday/
https://1buv.com/gulf-coast-braces-for-tropical-storm-cristobal-to-strike-on-sunday/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:25:56 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298214Tropical Storm Cristobal continues to strengthen as the storm is headed to an area of the Louisiana coast littered with offshore oil platforms. A look from above of #Cristobal this morning. Winds will increase to tropical storm force Sunday morning for parts of the northern Gulf Coast. Preparation should be competed as soon as possible. Find and follow […]

A 10:00 ET tropical update via the National Weather Service (NWS) warns “tropical-storm-force winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall are expected to begin along portions of the northern Gulf Coast tonight and Sunday morning.”

Cristobal is sustaining winds of 50 mph and could strengthen before making landfall along the Louisiana coast on Sunday. The center of the storm will likely strike the eastern Louisiana coastline late Sunday afternoon.

At least 65 Gulf of Mexico offshore oil platforms have shuttered operations, resulting in a decline of 500,000 barrels per day (BPD) of oil production. Gulf of Mexico oil platforms represents about 15% of total daily US production.

Cristobal’s trajectory

A Reuters source said crude refineries located on the Louisiana coast plan to continue operating this weekend, despite tropical threats on Sunday into Monday. Torrential rains and high winds are expected between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Cristobal’s impact zone

As of early Saturday afternoon, Cristobal is about 365 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River and traveling north at around 14 mph.

Humanity reached rock-bottom when some white teenagers were seen exhibiting an insensitive challenge over social media that has them imitating a police officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck.

The brutal killing of an unarmed African-African man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer by virtue of his kneeling on the victim’s neck sparked protests all over the United States last week.

Such an act of dispassionately stamping out human life made people question humanity at large. However, sensitivity hit a new low when teenagers were discovered taking part in a challenge that required them to enact the murder scene of George Floyd.

The challenge gained attention when a photo of a high school wrestling coach with a man kneeling on his neck began circulating on social media sites.

The Bethel School District coach was later fired for his controversial post that left people fuming with anger. In the post, Dave Hollenbeck, the man who was pictured with a knee pressed into his back, wrote, “Not dead yet. This is for all the race baiters and people that don’t What they’re talking about when they’re saying this could kill you.”

Two other teenagers in Missouri also found their admission to universities revoked after they uploaded a similar Snapchat video. Missouri State University President, Clif Smart, clarified in a post that the students involved had “chosen to withdraw.”

I was horrified by offensive social media posts made by two incoming students recently.

These students have chosen to withdraw from the university. Read my analysis of the situation. https://t.co/s4R3cGIiAl

The others seen in viral posts were taken by three UK teenagers and said “police brutality” in their captions. One of the photos caught the attention of local police in Northumbria in Britain and led to the arrest of all three on May 31 on charges of hate crime.

As per reports by The Indian Express, another 26-year-old man in Fife, Scotland, was also arrested for an image mocking the death of Floyd. Although the original post was deleted, he was nabbed on the basis of screenshots.

The image showed one man lying face down on the ground while the other had his knee on his neck. The man on top is staring into the camera with his arms flexed and captioned it “George Floyd challenge 2020”.

Bradford University had also reported about its investigation into the case of a teenager from its campus who was seen carrying the insensitive George Floyd challenge. The trend also got a lot of limelight after a petition was circulated online asking to “Have TikTok remove any content involving the ‘George Floyd challenge!!’”

We are aware of an image that is circulating on social media making unacceptable reference to recent tragic events in the US. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is a core value of our University. We are taking this matter very seriously and investigating the matter as a priority.

After outrage by social media users over banning such a challenge, social media has brought it upon itself to crack down on people undertaking this challenge and are blocking the hashtag on its platforms.

Social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook were primarily used to post such content. Both these sites have now blocked the hashtag for violating ‘community standards’.

Ian Greenhalgh is a photographer and historian with a particular interest in military history and the real causes of conflicts.

His studies in history and background in the media industry have given him a keen insight into the use of mass media as a creator of conflict in the modern world.

His favored areas of study include state-sponsored terrorism, media manufactured reality and the role of intelligence services in manipulation of populations and the perception of events.

ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content, VT cannot guarantee content validity.We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT’s independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news, opinion and media.

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT.

]]>https://1buv.com/humanity-has-hit-rock-bottom-veterans-today/feed/0‘Where does this end?’ NYT oped suggests cutting off family & friends unless they protest or give money to anti-racism orgs — RT USA Newshttps://1buv.com/where-does-this-end-nyt-oped-suggests-cutting-off-family-friends-unless-they-protest-or-give-money-to-anti-racism-orgs-rt-usa-news/
https://1buv.com/where-does-this-end-nyt-oped-suggests-cutting-off-family-friends-unless-they-protest-or-give-money-to-anti-racism-orgs-rt-usa-news/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:20:15 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298204A New York Times opinion piece suggests the only true way to alleviate white guilt is to cut off family and friends unless they support anti-racism causes, either through protest or financial contributions. Author Chris Sanders is not happy about white people he knows texting him about the current unrest in the nation amidst the […]

A New York Times opinion piece suggests the only true way to alleviate white guilt is to cut off family and friends unless they support anti-racism causes, either through protest or financial contributions.

Author Chris Sanders is not happy about white people he knows texting him about the current unrest in the nation amidst the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd.

After ranting about his agent and publishing company pushing off a scheduled meeting for a “blackout” day in support of the demonstrations around the country and people suddenly caring about the Black Lives Matter movement in light of protests, Sanders argues white people texting him about these issues “drain my time and energy.”

Being guilty is not enough, Sanders suggests. He offers only three ways white people can be allies to black people today.

The first is contributing money to either black politicians or anti-racism organizations. The second is cutting off any and all family or friends who do not either contribute to those causes as well or physically protest. White people must tell these people “you will not be visiting them or answering phone calls until they take significant action in supporting black lives either through protest or financial contributions.”

And the third is protecting black protesters at risk during the current demonstrations.

The assertion that the guilt all white people need to be feeling can only be offset by damaging personal relationships has not gone over well with many on social media.

“Where does this end? I want racial equality, but I utterly disdain any person or institution endorsing such tactics,” writer Mark Hemingway tweeted.

Today, The New York Times ran an op-ed telling people to withhold affection from their relatives unless they protest or give money to anti-racism organizations.Where does this end? I want racial equality, but I utterly disdain any person or institution endorsing such tactics. pic.twitter.com/vVTnKq75mo

“So grandparents need to risk COVID19 at a protest or pay up, or no grandkids. How did antiracism get so creepy & cultish,” reporter Jonathan Kay asked in a thread blasting the oped.

only ppl I’ve seen who demand that you cut off relationships with family are either religious nuts seeking to punish family apostates, gender crazies on tumblr videos telling autistic girls to cut off body parts & run away from home, Scientologists… And this author. All cults.

“My daughter was told this in college. She was told to cut ties w friends/family for ‘wrongthink’. I was discarded by my family for leaving Islam. She knows the pain it has caused me, so she was horrified by these instructions. She never spoke up, of course, lest she be attacked,” shared another user.

My daughter was told this in college. She was told to cut ties w friends/family for ‘wrongthink’. I was discarded by my family for leaving Islam. She knows the pain it has caused me, so she was horrified by these instructions. She never spoke up, of course, lest she be attacked.

Others questioned whether the writer was putting older people at risk by saying the only way they should be able to see family is to join a protest, which would put them at greater risk of contracting Covid-19.

Broke: COVID can easily be spread to older and more vulnerable populations which is why it’s imperative to stay at home and distance yourself from them.Woke: if you don’t demand your grandma go protest during a contagious pandemic, you and her are both racist fascists. https://t.co/nGRS94CzDx

]]>https://1buv.com/where-does-this-end-nyt-oped-suggests-cutting-off-family-friends-unless-they-protest-or-give-money-to-anti-racism-orgs-rt-usa-news/feed/0Wikipedia spreads conspiracy theories, foreign propaganda in George Floyd articles – NaturalNews.comhttps://1buv.com/wikipedia-spreads-conspiracy-theories-foreign-propaganda-in-george-floyd-articles-naturalnews-com/
https://1buv.com/wikipedia-spreads-conspiracy-theories-foreign-propaganda-in-george-floyd-articles-naturalnews-com/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:15:48 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298201(Natural News) Left-wing Wikipedia editors are using articles about the police-involved death of George Floyd and subsequent protests to attack President Donald Trump, including creating individual articles attacking his statements and actions to get them on Wikipedia’s front page. Editors have unduly favored comments criticizing Trump or America, even uncritically repeating attacks from authoritarian governments such as […]

(Natural News)
Left-wing Wikipedia editors are using articles about the police-involved death of George Floyd and subsequent protests to attack President Donald Trump, including creating individual articles attacking his statements and actions to get them on Wikipedia’s front page. Editors have unduly favored comments criticizing Trump or America, even uncritically repeating attacks from authoritarian governments such as China and Iran, and emphasized police violence over violence from protestors, including Antifa. Such efforts have extended to pushing claims of “far-right” involvement.

A “BlackLivesMatter” group was formed by left-wing Wikipedia editors to coordinate work on articles about police violence and race relations. Others have tried rallying editors to remove or minimize mentions of violence from Antifa’s Wikipedia page after Trump and Attorney General Barr labeled the group domestic terrorists.

While riots raged across the United States over Floyd’s death, editors on Wikipedia promptly set out to spin the narrative of the unrest against Trump. Sections of Wikipedia articles on the protests and Floyd’s death noting reactions to these events have overwhelmingly focused on criticism of Trump’s comments on the case. At one point an editor included a long diatribe against Trump likening his calls for military intervention to stop rioting to the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It remained part of the article for nearly a day, only being removed due to lack of a citation.

Editors also took the step of creating entire articles dedicated to comments or actions from Trump in response to the unrest. One such article was on the phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” used by Trump in response to the widespread rioting as he called for deployment of National Guard forces to contain the violence. The page, associating the negative racial history of its prior usage with Trump, has been approved for appearance on the front page of Wikipedia, a tactic editors have used to prominently smear Trump in the past.

Another article was created about the clearing of the area around St. John’s Church in D.C. Though an editor sought to have the page deleted under Wikipedia policies, suggesting its contents belonged in the broader protest page, that discussion was eventually swarmed by left-wing editors and the article was kept on the site. Disputes over the article’s title prompted another discussion dominated by left-wing editors with the chosen title calling the event a “photo-op” echoing media spin. In the article itself, the list of responses to Trump’s action was heavily slanted towards critics. Even most Republican Senators reported as defending him were excluded, while including most who criticized him.

Many of the top contributors to the Wikipedia page on the protests are editors with a history of left-wing bias. Such bias is evident from the article intro, which mentions various controversial police actions, but barely mentions rioting. In the article body, a section on violence skews against police. Whole paragraphs are devoted to singular incidents of a protestor being injured by non-lethal ammunition, yet only a single sentence mentions looters murdering retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn. Similarly, short mentions are devoted to other attacks on police during the rioting.

A section on violence against journalists skews heavily against police, devoting two paragraphs to the arrest of a CNN crew, while only having one sentence about protestors attacking and vandalizing CNN’s headquarters. The section also leads with a paragraph seeking to blame violence against journalists on Trump’s criticism of the media. The Wikipedia page’s section on international reactions, similar to the page on Trump’s St. John’s visit, overwhelmingly favored criticism. This included comments attacking the United States from authoritarian governments in China, Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, being repeated uncritically without noting the self-serving motives of such criticism given the repressive measures those governments took against recent protests in their own countries.

Further biased editing on the page included a section on “reports of extremist activities” focusing on largely dubious claims of “far-right” involvement in violence and rioting. Only half as much content focused on the violent Antifa movement’s involvement and statements from Trump and Attorney General Barr, which criticized the far-left group as engaging in terrorism. The material on “far-right” involvement was primarilyaddedby editor “Calthinus” who has a history of anti-Trump editing on Wikipedia articles such as the page on BrettKavanaugh, a subject of past smear campaigns on the site.

Efforts to downplay the role of Antifa in violent rioting are consistent with past efforts by Antifa supporters on Wikipedia to slant articles in their favor and remove negative information about the far-left group such as their attack on journalist Andy Ngo. Recent administration attention on Antifa over the riots has prompted further moves on Wikipedia’s Antifa page. This has included an attempt by left-wing editors to have any mention of Antifa engaging in physical violence removed from the article’s intro, claiming it is not a common trait of the group.

In one instance, editor “Bastique” posted to Facebook encouraging friends to “fix” the Antifa page. The Facebook post linked a Wikipedia discussion started by Bastique, who claims to be an “anti-liberal leftist” and Lutheran pastor in Berkeley, on removing “militant” as a description of Antifa. Such a request appears to go against Wikipedia guidelines on attempts to rig discussions. One person who responded on Facebook, Wikipedia administrator Guy Chapman, joined the discussion to support removing “militant” as a defining trait of Antifa. Chapman later removed the “militant” label from Antifa’s Wikipedia page himself, suggesting the discussion found “no consensus” for it.

Protests over Floyd’s death and widespread adoption of the “BlackLivesMatter” slogan by corporations have also influenced Wikipedia. Though a proposed “blackout” of Wikipedia in solidarity with the protests was rejected, editors set up a “Black Lives Matter” group dedicated to editing Wikipedia pages on allegations of police brutality and racial discrimination. Members include numerous administrators with special privileges on the site, including Chapman who stated in joining: “You can be one of three things: ally, enemy, or collaborator.” Editor “Wugapodes” launched an “edit-a-thon” for the group claiming its goal was “to improve our articles on topics relating to racism, racialized violence, and the African diaspora more widely.” Wugapodes also approved having the article covering Trump’s comments on looting appear on Wikipedia’s front page.

Wikipedia’s extensive bias regarding the protests over Floyd’s death show why the online encyclopedia has become so notorious for its left-wing bias on political articles that one of its own co-founders has called out the problem. However, despite criticism of this bias, the site continues to be relied on widely by Big Tech as an “arbiter of truth” in the era of hysteria over “fake news” online.

Above photo: Four protectors in a second floor window of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC. Front row: David Paul and Adrienne Pine. Back row: Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers.

The sentencing of the final four from the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective marked another defeat for Juan Guaidó and his DC-based coup administration.

Prior to handing it down, however, an Obama-appointed judge delivered an unhinged law-and-order tirade denigrating the defendants.

On the morning of June 3, four U.S. citizens from the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective (EPC) who engaged in a two-week-long standoff with right-wing Venezuelan exile hooligans and members of Juan Guaidó’s coup administration entered a plea agreement with the U.S. government.

The chief Judge for the U.S. District Court District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, sentenced David Paul, Margaret Flowers, Kevin Zeese, and Adrienne Pine to six months of probation and fines totaling $750 each. Additionally, Judge Howell ordered the four defendants to stay away from the building which formally served as Venezuela’s embassy in Washington D.C., threatening them with 30 day jail terms if they failed to meet the conditions of their probation.

Before sentencing the defendants, Judge Howell delivered an unhinged law-and-order tirade, personally denigrating each of them and declaring her intention to make an example of them in order to prevent future protest actions which challenged U.S. government policy.

The prosecution of the EPC final four resulted in a mistrial in February of this year, when the jurors were unable to reach a verdict. The U.S. government then offered to drop the charges in order to avoid a re-trial. Under the negotiated deal, all four defendants pleaded guilty to a low-level, Class B misdemeanor charge of “incommoding,” which falls under local D.C. jurisdiction, in exchange for the dropping of federal charges which had alleged they interfered with the ability of U.S. authorities to provide protective services on embassy grounds.

“I proudly pleaded guilty to obstructing imperialism, neoliberal fascism and white supremacy, and will continue to stand alongside the Venezuelan people and other targets of U.S. military and police violence at home and abroad,” Adrienne Pine, an American University Professor of Anthropology, told The Grayzone shortly following the court’s announcement.

“As the deadly violence of militarized police forces around this country over the past week in particular have made abundantly clear, now more than ever we must draw attention to the inextricable links between imperialist violence and the violence against brown, black and indigenous communities here in the United States. I would not think twice if given the chance again to put my body on the line against such racist violence, which has already killed so many of my friends,” Pine added.

Margaret Flowers, a pediatrician and organizer with Popular Resistance who was arrested in the embassy, told The Grayzone she is “proud of all of the people in the Embassy Protection Collective and the ongoing work to build international solidarity and demand our country become a positive participant in the global community, not an exploiter and aggressor.”

An unhinged law-and-order tirade by an Obama-appointed judge

Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama appointee, stated her intention to make an example of the defendants

Flowers and Pine’s reactions stood in stark contrast to the unhinged and downright inaccurate lecture Judge Howell delivered shortly before announcing her sentencing decision, during which she expressed confusion as to why U.S. authorities acted with restraint when handling the Embassy Protection Collective.

Throughout Wednesday’s hearing, which this reporter attended through a sometimes difficult to decipher conference call, Judge Howell explained that because she spends most of her days sending poor black and brown people to prison, she was convinced the white and highly educated members of the EPC final four were riding on “privilege” and “entitlement” in order to avoid jail time.

Howell expressed astonishment that U.S. Secret Service and D.C. police had not met the non-violent embassy protectors with an iron fist, suggesting her wish for a Trumpian, military-style assault on the leftist demonstrators. She bizarrely sought to contrast the brutal treatment of protesters on display during the recent wave of Black Lives Matter demonstrations with the police’s supposedly velvet-glove handling of the embassy standoff.

Judge Howell was apparently unaware of the numerous instances of police brutality surrounding events at the embassy, particularly the violent arrests police made of Veterans for Peace President Gerry Condon, who attempted to toss a cucumber to protesters inside the embassy, and Dean Murville, an elderly local peace activist who sought to bring toothbrushes to embassy protectors.

More charges dropped against members of the Embassy Protection Collective, this time Veterans for Peace @VFPNational president Gerry Condon. Police brutalized him and charged him with “throwing missiles” after he tossed a cucumber pic.twitter.com/xoNwsjjsYq

Then there were the arrests of embassy protector Ben Rubinstein and Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal. Police arrested both over a phony assault claim fabricated by the Venezuelan opposition, even raiding Blumenthal’s home five months after the manufactured incident was alleged to have taken place. The trumped-up charges were later dropped.

Also apparently lost on Judge Howell was the fact that hundreds of people from a wide range of diverse backgrounds participated in the Embassy Protection Collective in order to show solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the face of U.S. attempts to overthrow their sovereign government and upend international law. U.S. authorities detained and harassed one such activist, Sergio Torres, a Nicaraguan American, when he returned from a visit to Venezuela last summer, and again, on his way back from a visit to family in Nicaragua. As The Grayzone reported at the time, Customs and Border Patrol grilled Torres about the inner workings of the U.S. anti-war movement.

The upper middle class, right-wing and largely white crowd of Venezuelan exiles that gathered outside of the embassy carried out dozens of racist, homophobic and violent attacks against Torres and other members of the EPC, all under the watchful eyes of U.S. authorities. These were the same U.S. authorities which actively blocked food from reaching people inside the embassy, while also shutting off the building’s water and electricity. If such actions constituted restraint in the eyes of Judge Howell, it is frightening to imagine what she might classify as police abuse.

“One reason we were among ‘the final four’ was we were able to take risks that people of Venezuelan or Latin American background could not take. We used our privilege to support the Venezuelan people who would be taking much greater risk,” Kevin Zeese, a lawyer who also organizes with Popular Resistance, explained.

Regardless of Judge Howell’s stunning ignorance, the final four EPC defendants expressed relief that their trial had come to an end.

“I am pleased that we now have resolution to this prosecution, which never should have happened in the first place,” Flowers said. “We were in the Embassy legally and trying to stop our government from violating international law.”

“We will continue to defend the sovereignty of Venezuela against U.S. regime change. While we are pleased to not be serving any time in jail, this trial showed the world the shortcomings of U.S. Courts,” Zeese added. “In that courtroom, [Venezuelan opposition leader] Juan Guaidó was president, when he has never been president for a nanosecond. Jurors were misled.”

David Paul, a retired nurse, reflected upon his experience: “I am glad to be done with this trial, and proud to have been part of the collective effort to take a stand against the criminal behavior of our government. The trial was literally unreal.”

Judge Howell supplemented her outpouring of resentment with the last minute introduction of several “Victim Impact Letters.” Among the supposed victims was Carlos Vecchio, a former lawyer for ExxonMobil who serves as representative of Venezuela’s opposition in the United States, with his salary covered by US taxpayers through the State Department.

In his statement, Vecchio repeatedly denounced the actions of what he called “the Code Pink group” despite the fact none of the defendants in the case were members of CODEPINK, accusing them of “absolutely and totally [preventing] the normal functioning of the consular services of Venezuela in this city.”

Though Vecchio’s letter has not been made public, portions were dictated to this reporter by a trial participant.

Another defeat for Guaidó and the US backed opposition

Although over a year has passed since the U.S. Secret Service forcibly removed the Embassy Protection Collective from Venezuela’s former diplomatic premises in a military-style raid, Vecchio has yet to take control of the building. This could be due to the fact that he answers to no real Foreign Ministry in Caracas, and has no legal authority to provide consular services on behalf of any internationally-recognized government.

When this reporter attended a CODEPINK action outside of the former diplomatic mission on February 20 of this year, a Secret Service agent stationed outside informed me “it’s not an actual working embassy.” His statement, which I captured on video, directly contradicted Vecchio’s claim that embassy protectors prevented him from doing his job – as it appears that Vecchio has no actual job, even to this very day.

Vecchio provided cover for his personal failures by asserting “the facilities have not been recovered due to the serious deterioration caused by” the EPC, yet provided no evidence of such destruction. An attorney for the defendants reminded the court of the EPC’s demand that D.C. Metropolitan Police perform a videotaped walk-through of the embassy just prior to their arrest to confirm the lack of damage to the facility. Judge Howell lashed out at the U.S. government for its failure to itemize the alleged damage or request restitution for it.

That decision may stem from the risk posed by launching an actual investigation into vandalism at the embassy, which would no doubt reveal that pro-coup activists affiliated with Vecchio were, in fact, responsible for much of the wreckage. Guarding the building from such attacks and upholding its inviolability, as guaranteed by the Vienna Diplomatic Convention, was the stated purpose of the Embassy Protection Collective.

Defending Venezuela’s sovereign diplomatic premises did not appear to be a primary concern for Vecchio, however, when he signed a letter begging the U.S. government for help in removing the EPC from embassy grounds. As this reporter documented in May 2019, Vecchio moved to waive the embassy’s inviolability, going so far as to “waive any and all claims against the U.S. Government related to any and all injury or damage to Embassy property and its contents.”

In his bogus letter requesting help from US gov to illegally remove peace activists from Venezuela’s former embassy, @carlosvecchio absurdly suspended the building’s inviolability & agreed to “waive any & all claims” of damage to its property by US agents! Who does he represent? pic.twitter.com/ee4HzFb2KL

Unfortunately for Vecchio, his total subservience to U.S. authorities was not enough to deliver him a victory in court. Meanwhile, his boss, Juan Guaidó, has been missing in action since late April, when he hired a former U.S. Green Beret to organize a comically botched operation to invade Venezuela and kidnap its democratically-elected president, Nicolas Maduro.

With the Venezuelan coup regime running on empty, the anti-war movement in the United States received a breath of fresh air with this legal victory.

“The failed U.S. response to the pandemic, the systemic violence against people of color, and deadly economic sanctions against other countries all reveal the deep and destructive greed inherent to capitalism, which needs to be challenged everywhere if there is going to be peace in our world,” Paul remarked. “The struggle of the Venezuelan people continues to teach and inspire us in that common effort.”

Anya Parampil is a journalist based in Washington, DC. She has produced and reported several documentaries, including on-the-ground reports from the Korean peninsula, Palestine, Venezuela, and Honduras.

]]>https://1buv.com/venezuelan-embassy-protection-collective-wins-legal-victory/feed/0Winston Churchill Statue Defaced on D-Day Anniversary Amid George Floyd Protests in Londonhttps://1buv.com/winston-churchill-statue-defaced-on-d-day-anniversary-amid-george-floyd-protests-in-london/
https://1buv.com/winston-churchill-statue-defaced-on-d-day-anniversary-amid-george-floyd-protests-in-london/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:10:36 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298192https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107954/18/1079541826_0:0:2925:1645_1200x675_80_0_0_14892b1fc64d6d19bc028e06d03d20c1.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/uk/202006061079541818-winston-churchill-statue-defaced-on-d-day-anniversary-amid-george-floyd-protests-in-london/ Ongoing and widespread protests provoked by the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of white police officers are taking place in almost every major city across the United States, as well as in other many capitals around the world, and London is no exception. A statue […]

Ongoing and widespread protests provoked by the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of white police officers are taking place in almost every major city across the United States, as well as in other many capitals around the world, and London is no exception.

A statue of the iconic British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was vandalized on Saturday, on the 76th anniversary of D-Day. The day marks beach landings in Normandy by Allied forces, led in part by the British army commander, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers en masse invaded northern France during the Second World War.

The statue, located in London’s Parliament Square, was defaced with the letters ACAB, which stand for ‘All Cops Are B**ches’.

Though the vandals have not been identified or apprehended, many put the blame for the illegal act on participants of Saturday’s George Floyd protests in London, with some arguing that police were not doing enough to protect the statue.

Police officers are keeping a tight watch around the statue of Winston Churchill on Parliament Square after it was graffitied. @LBCpic.twitter.com/8X8JTjzNk8

“The statue of Sir Winston Churchill, the man who guided our nation through its darkest hour, recognised as one of the greatest ever Britons, has been defaced,” tweeted Darren Grimes, a UK TV commentator. “Where are the police?”

The statue of Sir Winston Churchill, the man who guided our nation through its darkest hour, recognised as one of the greatest ever Britons, has been defaced. Where are the police? pic.twitter.com/AzA6hODGJ1

Police have barricaded the statue, located within an area in which many of the protesters were said to have gathered.

Saturday’s protest in the British capital is part of ongoing anti-racism and anti-police-brutality protests taking place in many parts of the world, triggered by the death of an African-American named George Floyd at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 25 May.

Protesters peacefully gather at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday in Washington to call for action to end racial injustice.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

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Protesters peacefully gather at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday in Washington to call for action to end racial injustice.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

Since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, few communities have teemed with such outspoken frustration as the city just outside President Trump’s window — and that dissatisfaction was again on ample display Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Throngs of protesters gathered peacefully in front of the Lincoln Memorial by midday for a rally that was slated to be just the first of more than a dozen similar events at other major landmarks around the greater D.C. region on Saturday.

Rico Silva speaks to the crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, during a peaceful protest against police brutality Saturday in Washington, D.C.

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Rico Silva speaks to the crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, during a peaceful protest against police brutality Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Tyrone Turner/WAMU

Thousands have already joined a massive demonstration across from the White House, overflowing a park and the intersection that has become a focal point of the district’s protests over the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, a black man, was killed last month when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

At one corner of the intersection is St. John’s Church in Lafayette Square, the site of a controversial visit by the president on Monday in which peaceful protesters were tear-gassed in order to make way for his appearance there.

Now, with the blessing of city leaders such as Mayor Muriel Bowser — whom Trump has roundly criticized on Twitter — the stretch of street in front of the church has been officially renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza and now bears a two-block-long mural declaring the slogan in bold yellow letters.

The atmosphere of the protests was largely peaceful, joyful and optimistic. With temperatures approaching 90 degrees, participants handed one another water and passed around masks to help protect against the coronavirus.

People gather in front of the Lincoln Memorial following a protest at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The atmosphere of the protests was largely peaceful, joyful and optimistic. With temperatures approaching 90 degrees, participants handed one another water and passed around masks to help protect against the coronavirus.

Eman Mohammed for NPR

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People gather in front of the Lincoln Memorial following a protest at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The atmosphere of the protests was largely peaceful, joyful and optimistic. With temperatures approaching 90 degrees, participants handed one another water and passed around masks to help protect against the coronavirus.

Eman Mohammed for NPR

A sign language interpreter translates the protest chants following a demonstration at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Saturday.

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A sign language interpreter translates the protest chants following a demonstration at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Saturday.

Eman Mohammed for NPR

The crowd rippled with chants of “no justice, no peace,” and at one point broke into a rendition of “Lean on Me,” which has become something of an unofficial anthem at protests in Washington since since local singer Kenny Sway led the crowd in a singalong Wednesday in front of the White House.

The show of law enforcement at the protest Saturday appeared lighter in comparison with other recent demonstrations in which large contingents of police and National Guard troops were deployed.

Protesters Heyssis Castillo and Katherine Bonilla (center left and right) demonstrate in front of the Capitol on Saturday.

Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

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Protesters Heyssis Castillo and Katherine Bonilla (center left and right) demonstrate in front of the Capitol on Saturday.

Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

In previous days, troops in riot gear had stood shoulder to shoulder in Lafayette Square in front of the White House, but troops or police were not easily visible early Saturday afternoon. The presence of law enforcement also appeared diminished across much of the downtown perimeter as compared with earlier in the week.

Defense Department officials earlier this week ordered home some 1,600 active-duty soldiers who had been brought to military bases near D.C. The troops were never deployed in the nation’s capital, though Trump had threatened to do so.

Pastor Shawn Woodward of Highway Christian Church of Christ in Washington, D.C., encourages football players from Watkins Elementary School to work hard at school and to aim high in life on Saturday.

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Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR

Pastor Shawn Woodward of Highway Christian Church of Christ in Washington, D.C., encourages football players from Watkins Elementary School to work hard at school and to aim high in life on Saturday.

]]>https://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-15/feed/0The Terrifying History of Bad Cops in Buffalohttps://1buv.com/the-terrifying-history-of-bad-cops-in-buffalo/
https://1buv.com/the-terrifying-history-of-bad-cops-in-buffalo/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2020 00:00:51 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298170This story was published in partnership with Investigative Post, a non-profit investigative reporting center in Buffalo, New York. It’s the shove seen round the world: two Buffalo cops push a demonstrator who falls, slams his head on the pavement, and immediately begins to bleed from the ears. City officials wasted no time in suspending the […]

City officials wasted no time in suspending the two officers seen on the video shoving the demonstrator, who, it turns out, is 75 years old and fighting cancer. On Saturday, the officers were charged with assault in the second degree.

But never ones to back down—Buffalo cops can be a belligerent bunch—they responded by organizing a mass resignation of the 57 officers from the team designated to deal with protests and other large crowds. They are keeping their jobs, but giving up their assignments on what is considered an elite response team. Rank and file are said to be disgruntled, as well.

John Evans, president of the Police Benevolent Association, emailed his membership and characterized the suspensions this way: “They tried to fuck over these guys like I have never seen in my 54 years.”

As shocking as this all may be to outsiders, the shoving of demonstrator Martin Gugino and the defiant response of officers to an effort to discipline two of their own is indicative of the state of police affairs in Buffalo. Has been for a long time, not that you have to go back too far to find other episodes of brutality that have been captured on video.

On Monday, a line of Buffalo police charged demonstrators, including one attacked from behind as he calmly stood for an interview with a local television station. He wound up spending the night in jail.

Last month, a white Buffalo cop was caught on camera repeatedly punching a black suspect in the face after he’d been wrestled to the ground. The cop, and his partner, remain on the job, not so much as reassigned to desk duty.

It gets worse.

No fewer than four men of color have died as the result of encounters with Buffalo police in the past three years.

First there was Wardel “Meech” Davis, stopped in February 2017 by police officers who later refused to cooperate with investigators. In May of that year, Jose Hernandez-Rossy was shot as he reportedly fled police. Rafael “Pito” Rivera was shot as he ran from police in September 2018. Marcus Neal was shot by police after they cornered him on a rooftop in December 2018.

Then there was the settlement earlier this year in which the city paid Wilson Morales $4.5 million after police shot and paralyzed him in 2012. Both cops involved in the shooting have since been promoted.

The problem—besides the “protect the shield” mentality that permeates the department and a union contract that long ago stripped administrators of any semblance of management rights— is a lack of police accountability.

New York’s notorious 50-a law pretty much prohibits the disclosure of police disciplinary records, and the department’s Internal Affairs unit takes it from there. Investigative Post, in a February 2017 story, reported that Internal Affairs cleared officers of wrongdoing in 94 percent of the cases it investigated during a nearly three-year period.

Little wonder that a survey several years ago of inner-city residents found close to half of them weren’t comfortable calling the police in an emergency.

“My community has seen law enforcement abuse their power or misuse their power, and we no longer feel safe when it comes to them,” said Denise Walden, a community health worker. “We no longer trust them.”

The city in 2017 did disband its Strike Force unit, described by one defense attorney as “vigilantes” with a “cowboy mentality,” but only after getting negative press coverage and being sued by activists. The Strike Force specialized in setting up checkpoints in minority neighborhoods and writing as many tickets as possible. Police are still accused of targeting black and brown neighborhoods for aggressive traffic enforcement.

Training has been an issue, especially when Investigative Post reported post-Ferguson that the city was lagging in the teaching of de-escalation strategies. Training has improved somewhat, but police and union administrators squabble over whether cops should be trained on straight-time or overtime.

The city has a human rights commission with subpoena powers that it never uses. It’s got a citizens advisory committee that is largely ignored by elected officials. And the city council’s Police Oversight Committee, headed by a retired cop, only meets a couple of times a year and rarely takes up substantive issues.

The buck stops with Mayor Byron Brown, who has been unwilling to address the problems that plague his police department. He’s a go-along-to-get-along politician who doesn’t like conflict, and he’s shown time and time again that the problems of his black and brown political base don’t really matter to him. For example, the city has long had a major lead poisoning problem that his administration has refused to tackle head-on.

“This is a very sad situation. It was a scary situation,” Brown said at a press conference Friday of the recent unrest there. “It doesn’t reflect the true character of the Buffalo PD, or the city of Buffalo. “

Except, many would argue, this is all too often exactly who the cops are.

Protests Friday in Buffalo were the largest and most peaceful of the week. Police kept their distance—when they were on scene at all—and protesters kept the peace. It’s almost like the cops were the problem all along.

The events of the past week have the feel of sea-change. Brown has lost the support of his police department and drawn the ire of a new generation of activists drawn out by the protests. Police reform, and the larger issue of racial discrimination, has emerged from the shadows and forced one of the nation’s poorest, most segregated cities to face its demons.

]]>https://1buv.com/the-terrifying-history-of-bad-cops-in-buffalo/feed/0Oregon Governor Praises Protesters While Taking Churches To Court Over Covid Ordershttps://1buv.com/oregon-governor-praises-protesters-while-taking-churches-to-court-over-covid-orders/
https://1buv.com/oregon-governor-praises-protesters-while-taking-churches-to-court-over-covid-orders/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:55:24 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298165Oregon governor Kate Brown is going out of her way to voice her support for the Black Lives Matter protests, which seem to violate her own Covid 19 orders. At the same time, she’s continuing to challenge a rural county court order in which a judge ruled that churches can reopen. That’s right, she’s dragging […]

Oregon governor Kate Brown is going out of her way to voice her support for the Black Lives Matter protests, which seem to violate her own Covid 19 orders. At the same time, she’s continuing to challenge a rural county court order in which a judge ruled that churches can reopen.

That’s right, she’s dragging churches to court but giving a pass to the protesting mobs.

Gov. Kate Brown called for sweeping police and criminal justice reforms Monday in her first in-person statement on the massive protests, riots and looting that took place through the weekend in Portland, Eugene and other parts of the state.

She said that even a recent Oregon law that reformed juvenile justice and efforts to reduce harsh penalties that disproportionately impact black people have taken too long and not gone far enough. During the hour-long press conference, Brown said she wants to make the state’s administrators look like the communities they serve, change rules and cultures within agencies and adjust funding streams to make Oregon more reflective and fair to people of color in the state.

“I count myself as one of the many white politician whose good intentions haven’t done enough to tackle the scourge of systematic racism,” Brown said.

Brown said she has decided to push for more work at the state level focused on racial equity and equality, including in response to the pandemic.

Brown spoke for several minutes about how the lack of police accountability and reforms have led to the unjust killings of George Floyd and black people across the country. Only at the end did she call for peaceful protests, saying that the rioting and looting is the product a small group of instigators rather than indicative of broader sentiment.

In another article, Brown issued a statement as she ordered flags across the state to half staff:

“We lower the Oregon flag to half-staff to recognize a profound loss of life, one that affects us all,” Brown said in a statement. “As we mourn the loss of George Floyd, let us remember the many Black lives that have been taken by unnecessary violence. And let us commit ourselves, and our country, to fundamental change.”

While this is going on, Kate Brown is continuing to fight a handful of rural churches who have been challenging her statewide shutdown orders. Baker county judge Matthew Shirtcliff initially issued an injunction on Brown’s orders, but then the state supreme court stepped in that same day to overrule Shirtcliff. Shirtcliff has since refused to withdraw his injunction. Brown is continuing to challenge Judge Shirtcliff in the state supreme court, where Brown has appointed five of the seven current judges (Gee, I wonder how many of them will recuse themselves due to conflict of interest).

Attorneys for the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed May 6 in Baker County challenging Gov. Kate Brown’s executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic reiterated their claims, in separate briefs filed Tuesday with the Oregon Supreme Court, that the governor’s orders have legally expired.

Ray Hacke, an attorney with the Pacific Justice Institute in Salem who represents the plaintiffs, including Elkhorn Baptist Church in Baker City, argues that because Brown invoked the state’s public health emergency law, she is bound by its 28-day limit on such emergencies.

At issue is the preliminary injunction that Baker County Circuit Court Judge Matt Shirtcliff granted to the plaintiffs on May 18. The Supreme Court later that day issued a temporary stay that set aside the injunction and allowed the state to continue to enforce the governor’s executive orders restricting some businesses and limiting the size of public gatherings, including church services, to 25 people.

Many Oregon counties, including Baker County, could move into phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan on Friday. The limit on people attending church services will increase to 250, although that’s allowed only if the venue is large enough to allow social distancing.

On May 26 Shirtcliff declined to withdraw his decision granting the preliminary injunction.

The Supreme Court then set deadlines for attorneys on both sides to submit written arguments for why the injunction should or should not stand.

The Supreme Court has not given a timeline for oral arguments on the matter, or for when it will issue a decision.

Whether the Court reinstates the preliminary injunction or vacates it, the lawsuit itself could continue, potentially leading to a trial in Baker County Circuit Court.

]]>https://1buv.com/oregon-governor-praises-protesters-while-taking-churches-to-court-over-covid-orders/feed/0Father performs FGM on 3 daughters under guise of coronavirus vaccination – Middle East Monitorhttps://1buv.com/father-performs-fgm-on-3-daughters-under-guise-of-coronavirus-vaccination-middle-east-monitor/
https://1buv.com/father-performs-fgm-on-3-daughters-under-guise-of-coronavirus-vaccination-middle-east-monitor/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:50:31 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298162A father who performed FGM on his three daughters after telling them they would receive a coronavirus vaccination has been charged. According to the prosecutor’s statement, the doctor gave the girls a general anaesthetic so that they lost consciousness: “When they woke up, they were shocked to find their legs bound together and a sensation […]

A father who performed FGM on his three daughters after telling them they would receive a coronavirus vaccination has been charged.

According to the prosecutor’s statement, the doctor gave the girls a general anaesthetic so that they lost consciousness: “When they woke up, they were shocked to find their legs bound together and a sensation of pain in their genitals.”

The forensic report detailed “the excision of… reproductive organs.”

The doctor is also being charged for his role in performing the brutal practice on the three sisters, who were all under 18, after they told their mother who reported it to authorities. The parents are divorced.

FGM was made illegal in Egypt in 2008 with stricter punishments being put in place in 2016. doctors can face up to seven years in jail and instigators one year. However, the practice is still widespread in the country and those who instigate and carry it out are rarely held accountable.

Because it is outlawed doctors often charge very high prices. Anaesthetic is an extra and if a family cannot afford it their daughters are cut without it.

At the beginning of this year the case of 12-year-old Nada Abdul Maksoud from Assiut in Upper Egypt, who died after her parents forced her to undergo FGM and she bled to death, drew widespread criticism.

Nada’s parents, auntie and the doctor who performed the procedure were arrested after her uncle reported her death.

According to the Executive Director of the Cairo-based Women’s Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness, Reda El-Danbouki, the doctor responsible for Nada’s death was almost immediately released and there is doubt over whether he will even stand trial.

Egypt is one of the top four countries worldwide where FGM is carried out on both Muslims and Christians. A 2015 UNICEF survey revealed some 90 per cent of women in Egypt aged between 15 and 49 have been subject to female circumcision.

The surgery is known for being incredibly painful and leaves victims infertile, with an increased risk of infection, and can cause complications in childbirth and urination difficulties.

Official figures say some 200 million women have been impacted by FGM but rights activists say this is a huge underestimate.

]]>https://1buv.com/father-performs-fgm-on-3-daughters-under-guise-of-coronavirus-vaccination-middle-east-monitor/feed/01,200+ Health Professionals Sign Letter Approving of Floyd Protestshttps://1buv.com/1200-health-professionals-sign-letter-approving-of-floyd-protests/
https://1buv.com/1200-health-professionals-sign-letter-approving-of-floyd-protests/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:42:32 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298159More than 1,200 health professionals have signed a letter saying that they approve of protests against racism during the Chinese virus pandemic, because it is “vital to the national public health.” The health professionals added, however, that protesting lockdown orders is still dangerous, and is also “rooted in white nationalism.” According to the letter, “White supremacy is […]

More than 1,200 health professionals have signed a letter saying that they approve of protests against racism during the Chinese virus pandemic, because it is “vital to the national public health.” The health professionals added, however, that protesting lockdown orders is still dangerous, and is also “rooted in white nationalism.” According to the letter, “White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19.”

A group of healthcare and medical professionals wrote an open letter expressing their support for protests against racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd — despite the pandemic that so many health officials have been warning the public about — adding that such protests against racism should not be shut down due to coronavirus fears, reports CNN.

“As public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission,” wrote the health professionals in their letter. “We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States.”

“We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators’ ability to gather and demand change,” they continue.

The letter goes on to state that their support for protests against racism during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic should not “be confused” for them also having support for protests against lockdowns in response to the Chinese virus.

“This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders,” state the health professionals, who go on to bizarrely claim that such protests are also “rooted in white nationalism.”

“Those actions not only oppose public health interventions, but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives,” reads the letter.

“White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19,” affirm the health professionals in their letter.

“We created this letter in response to emerging narratives that seemed to malign demonstrations as risky for the public health because of Covid-19,” explain the authors — most of whom are from the University of Washington’s Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The letter was also signed by over 1,200 other health professionals who claim that they concur with the sentiments.

“We believe that the way forward is not to suppress protests in the name of public health but to respond to protesters demands in the name of public health, thereby addressing multiple public health crises,” they further explain.

The health professionals go on to advise that protesters engage in “social distancing” and “public masking” while they “call attention to the pervasive lethal force of white supremacy.”

The letter also mentions that while the health professionals are in support of such protests, people should nonetheless “prepare for an increased number of infections in the days following a protest.”

]]>https://1buv.com/1200-health-professionals-sign-letter-approving-of-floyd-protests/feed/0“Here’s Your ‘V’!” – No, The Market Is Not Forward-Lookinghttps://1buv.com/heres-your-v-no-the-market-is-not-forward-looking/
https://1buv.com/heres-your-v-no-the-market-is-not-forward-looking/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:35:19 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298152Authored by Sven Henrich via NorthmanTrader.com, In this week’s edition of Straight Talk Guy Adami, Dan Nathan and I are diving into the surprising jobs report, the hot topics of the widening wealth gap and social unrest, the Fed’s role in all of it, the implications of the widening rift on our society, the risks […]

In this week’s edition of Straight Talk Guy Adami, Dan Nathan and I are diving into the surprising jobs report, the hot topics of the widening wealth gap and social unrest, the Fed’s role in all of it, the implications of the widening rift on our society, the risks of a building record rift between asset prices and the real economy and we also offer a heartfelt discussion of the reasons of why we do what we do, offer our often contrarian and critical opinions.

Markets closed the week at a red flag screaming 151% market cap to GDP. There is no history, none, that shows valuations above 150% market cap to GDP are sustainable. None.

But this is what you get when you have a market that treats a phase one trade deal as something better than the trade volumes that were in place before the trade war ever started. This is what you get when a market treats phase one Covid vaccine trials as an actual vaccine already in place. This is what you get when a market prices in a perceived uptick in employment from a total collapse as an economy already having returned to full employment. This is what you get when a market perceives the injection of trillions of dollars as a substitute for actual growth in the economy.

This is what you get:

Welcome to the first massive financial asset bubble inside of a recession.

A financial asset bubble the likes we have never seen before. Asset bubbles happen at the end of a business cycle. Now we have one with nothing, absolutely nothing, on a extended proven growth path and the global economy still in a recession.

What bubble do we have in store for when the economy actually emerges from the recession?

Fact is the China US relation is frayed, the phase one trade deal in shambles in terms of actual volumes. There is no vaccine and while we’ve had a slowing of infections of wave 1 of the virus it is still ravaging in places such as Brazil and Mexico and back on the uptick in countries that have reopened their economies. The jury is still out.

There is little doubt the trillions in liquidity injections by the Fed and other central banks have juiced asset prices to levels that pretend to convey that nothing has happened.

New all time highs on the Nasdaq in the most vertical and aggressive “V” shaped rally ever.

$SPX back to levels last seen during the fleeting January 2020 lows when GDP growth was expected to be 2%, earnings growth deemed to be 5%-8% and unemployment at 3.5%.

Markets pretend that nothing’s happened and things are back to normal:

But they aren’t. Far from it, but that’s the illusion purposefully propagated by central banks. Millions unemployed with permanent job losses on the horizon but American billionaires having increased their wealth by $565B since March 18. This is America.

George Carlin once said:

When you are born to this world you get a free ticket to the freak show and if you are born in America you get a front seat. Welcome to the freak show that works for fewer and fewer people.

No, the market is not forward looking its blindly chasing liquidity and by doing so has blindly gone vertical and embraced an, in my view, unsustainable path of historical valuations overly reliant on overnight unfilled gaps:

A path that keeps building risks of future gap fills to come, especially in context of ever tightening price patterns not only on the market charts, but also the $VIX:

The building disconnects and the societal rifts are subjects dear to our hearts.

For out latest perspectives please join please join Guy Adami, Dan Nathan and I in this week’s edition of Straight Talk:

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For the latest detailed technical review on markets please see Market Videos. For the latest public analysis please visit NorthmanTrader. To subscribe to our market products please visit Services.

]]>https://1buv.com/heres-your-v-no-the-market-is-not-forward-looking/feed/0Turkey voices support for Jordan’s role in protecting Palestine holy sites – Middle East Monitorhttps://1buv.com/turkey-voices-support-for-jordans-role-in-protecting-palestine-holy-sites-middle-east-monitor/
https://1buv.com/turkey-voices-support-for-jordans-role-in-protecting-palestine-holy-sites-middle-east-monitor/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:30:18 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298149The Turkish embassy in Amman confirmed yesterday its support for Jordan’s role in protecting the holy sites in Palestine. The embassy said in a statement that it views recent commentary on the custodianship of the holy sites in Jerusalem as “speculative in nature, perhaps intended to diffuse attention away from annexation plans which are in […]

The Turkish embassy in Amman confirmed yesterday its support for Jordan’s role in protecting the holy sites in Palestine.

The embassy said in a statement that it views recent commentary on the custodianship of the holy sites in Jerusalem as “speculative in nature, perhaps intended to diffuse attention away from annexation plans which are in violation of international law”, in reference to Israel’s plans to seize 30 per cent of the occupied West Bank.

“Turkey strongly supports Jordan’s role in the custodianship of those holy sites. We believe that Jordan discharges this responsibility in a satisfactory manner,” it added.

Israel plans to annex nearly 30 per cent of the occupied West Bank as well as the Jordan Valley and East Jerusalem on 1 July.

In 1994, Jordan and Israel signed a peace deal known as the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty giving Jordan the right to supervise holy sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Earlier this week Israeli media reported that Tel Aviv and Saudi Arabia have engaged in secret meetings since December regarding including Saudi representatives in the Jordanian run Islamic Waqf Council at the Al-Aqsa Compound in Jerusalem.

They added that the Jordanians reached out to Israel and the US and said it had softened their position regarding Saudi representation to counter the increased Turkish influence.

]]>https://1buv.com/turkey-voices-support-for-jordans-role-in-protecting-palestine-holy-sites-middle-east-monitor/feed/0***Live Updates*** George Floyd Protests Continuehttps://1buv.com/live-updates-george-floyd-protests-continue-2/
https://1buv.com/live-updates-george-floyd-protests-continue-2/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:21:32 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298146George Floyd Protests Continue on Saturday. Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates. All times eastern. — 7:20 PM: Houston: We want to pay proper tribute to #GeorgeFloyd and honor his family. I have encouraged other Mayors across the nation to light their city halls crimson and gold which are the colors of his […]

By one estimate as many as 15,000 people marched on the pedestrian walkway over the Brooklyn Bridge – joining a group in lower Manhattan calling for justice. Tremendous energy throughout groups large and small in NYC today pic.twitter.com/ZjznRpKumU

Secret Service with long duffle bags and badges marked “United States Secret Service Special Operations Counter Sniper Team” heading into the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute building a block north of White House. pic.twitter.com/UmkLDI5eJJ

A neighborhood group is painting and handing out free signs to passersby at Shattuck & Ashby in Berkeley. Anyone can come and make a sign. Abby, owner of RogueMark Studios across the street, started the action last week and its attracted a steady group of friends & volunteers. pic.twitter.com/77h3WkpUbf

The Arlington Memorial Bridge is temporarily closed as protesters march from Arlington to the White House. Protesters tell me they’ve been walking for an hour. They still have a ways to go. #dcprotest@wusa9pic.twitter.com/4i7Gqt9Rtr

Rep. Omar compared the Minneapolis PD to a cancer killing the community it’s supposed to protect.

“I don’t believe there is more training to be done. I don’t believe there is more $ to be invested. I don’t believe there is a conversation to be had about how to make them better” pic.twitter.com/PkEkS4CI7A

Thousands of people in Philadelphia continue to protest racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Crowds in Center City stretched from the steps of the Art Museum and past the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. https://t.co/LlmPCHjz7Qpic.twitter.com/6YJT2DvCW7

The line of protesters coming across the Arlington Memorial Bridge seems to be never ending. One protester estimated one to two thousand people are in this group. They are making their way to the White House. One man walked by saying “this is unprecedented” @wusa9pic.twitter.com/6gnmBX3lxe

“The infographic used to illustrate market reactions to historic periods of civil unrest should have never aired on television without full context. We apologize for the insensitivity of the image and take this issue seriously.”

]]>https://1buv.com/live-updates-george-floyd-protests-continue-2/feed/0Lincoln, WWII Memorials Vandalized During BLM Riots – NewsWarshttps://1buv.com/lincoln-wwii-memorials-vandalized-during-blm-riots-newswars/
https://1buv.com/lincoln-wwii-memorials-vandalized-during-blm-riots-newswars/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:14:19 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298143Several historic monuments at the National Mall were defaced earlier this week during the George Floyd riots in DC, including the Lincoln Memorial. Some of the spray-painted messages scrawled on some of these monuments read, “Yall not tired yet?”, “Do Black vets count?” and “Fuck 12”. The National Park Services shared the graffiti aftermath the […]

Several historic monuments at the National Mall were defaced earlier this week during the George Floyd riots in DC, including the Lincoln Memorial.

Some of the spray-painted messages scrawled on some of these monuments read, “Yall not tired yet?”, “Do Black vets count?” and “Fuck 12”.

The National Park Services shared the graffiti aftermath the rioters left behind at the National Mall on social media, asking patrons of the historic site to keep demonstrations non-violent.

In the wake of last night’s demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall. For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition. pic.twitter.com/LmIHfW2AHj

The irony of a supposedly grassroots black organization defacing the monument of the president who emancipated the slaves during the American Civil War is apparently lost on the group.

Unfortunately, the Black Lives Matter organization and its far-left allies routinely deface and even outright destroy historic American monuments, statues, and other landmarks during their political gatherings.

They’ll even accuse people of being racist for simply removing the graffiti.

]]>https://1buv.com/lincoln-wwii-memorials-vandalized-during-blm-riots-newswars/feed/050 State AGs Are Pushing To Breakup Google’s Ad-Tech Dominance Alongside DOJhttps://1buv.com/50-state-ags-are-pushing-to-breakup-googles-ad-tech-dominance-alongside-doj/
https://1buv.com/50-state-ags-are-pushing-to-breakup-googles-ad-tech-dominance-alongside-doj/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:10:09 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298136In what would be a monumental move — and we might ad good for independent media breaking the shackles of the mainstream’s ongoing attempts to police content and punish dissent — Google’s total dominance over online advertising could soon come to an end. CNBC revealed Friday that no less than 50 sate attorneys general have been investigating Google’s business practices as part […]

In what would be a monumental move — and we might ad good for independent media breaking the shackles of the mainstream’s ongoing attempts to police content and punish dissent — Google’s total dominance over online advertising could soon come to an end.

CNBC revealed Friday that no less than 50 sate attorneys general have been investigating Google’s business practices as part of a months long probe alongside a parallel DOJ effort, and momentum is gaining toward a looming major antitrust lawsuit against the internet giant.

Source: Ad Age

Leading the probe among the states is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who did not comment in Friday’s CNBC report. Google, however, did respond, with a Google spokesperson rebutting with, “The facts are clear, our digital advertising products compete across a crowded industry with hundreds of rivals and technologies, and have helped lower costs for advertisers and consumers.”

President Trump has lately put big tech in the spotlight over allegations of targeted censorship of conservative content, lately signing an executive order which seeks to reduce liability protections of major internet companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google.

Independent and alternative voices have also long complained of being demonetized or unfairly targeted for analysis and commentary falling outside of accepted ‘groupthink’.

It remains that the bulk of Google’s some $161 billion in revenue comes via ad sales, with a far smaller amount coming through products the tech giant and its parent company Alphabet Inc. are traditionally known for: software and technology.

Critics have said that Google bundles its ad tools so that rivals can’t afford to match its offerings and that its operation of search results, YouTube, Gmail and other services to hinder ad competition. They also say that Google owns all sides of the “auction exchange” through which ads are sold and bought, giving it an unfair advantage.

But a key legal obstacle the courts would have to consider is the fact that Google’s ad group doesn’t function as a stand alone business, but is made up of Google Ads, Google Marketing Platform, and Google Ad Manager.

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A prior WSJ explainer walked through how Google ad dominance works in three charts:

]]>https://1buv.com/50-state-ags-are-pushing-to-breakup-googles-ad-tech-dominance-alongside-doj/feed/0Disband, Investigate, Imprison: The Terrifying History of Buffalo’s Bad Cops – Veterans Todayhttps://1buv.com/disband-investigate-imprison-the-terrifying-history-of-buffalos-bad-cops-veterans-today/
https://1buv.com/disband-investigate-imprison-the-terrifying-history-of-buffalos-bad-cops-veterans-today/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:07:16 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298132YouTube This story was published in partnership with Investigative Post, a non-profit investigative reporting center in Buffalo, New York. It’s the shove seen round the world: two Buffalo cops push a demonstrator who falls, slams his head on the pavement, and immediately begins to bleed from the ears. #MartinGugino, the 75 year old man knocked to the ground […]

#MartinGugino, the 75 year old man knocked to the ground by police in Buffalo, is a longtime peace activist and a member of the Catholic Worker, a community dedicated to justice and peace, founded by Servant of God Dorothy Day, who also took to the streets to advocate for justice pic.twitter.com/l1YQKZFuRw

But never ones to back down—Buffalo cops can be a belligerent bunch—they responded by organizing a mass resignation of the 57 officers from the team designated to deal with protests and other large crowds. They are keeping their jobs, but giving up their assignments on what is considered an elite response team. Rank and file are said to be disgruntled, as well.

John Evans, president of the Police Benevolent Association, emailed his membership and characterized the suspensions this way: “They tried to fuck over these guys like I have never seen in my 54 years.”

Here’s what Buffalo’s mayor said to excuse his cops almost killing a 75-year old man. He’s using Martin Gugino’s extensive PEACEFUL activism to excuse outright abuse.

As shocking as this all may be to outsiders, the shoving of demonstrator Martin Gugino and the defiant response of officers to an effort to discipline two of their own is indicative of the state of police affairs in Buffalo. Has been for a long time, not that you have to go back too far to find other episodes of brutality that have been captured on video.

On Monday, a line of Buffalo police charged demonstrators, including one attacked from behind as he calmly stood for an interview with a local television station. He wound up spending the night in jail. read more…

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]]>https://1buv.com/disband-investigate-imprison-the-terrifying-history-of-buffalos-bad-cops-veterans-today/feed/0Massive crowds rally nationwide to protest the death of George Floyd (VIDEOS, PHOTOS) — RT USA Newshttps://1buv.com/massive-crowds-rally-nationwide-to-protest-the-death-of-george-floyd-videos-photos-rt-usa-news/
https://1buv.com/massive-crowds-rally-nationwide-to-protest-the-death-of-george-floyd-videos-photos-rt-usa-news/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:05:26 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298127Thousands of protesters flooded the main streets, squares and bridges in nationwide protest over the death of George Floyd, leading some to question whether a second wave of Covid-19 is imminent. Chicago, Washington, DC and New York all saw large groups gather to march and demonstrate, all of which have been peaceful as of Saturday […]

Thousands of protesters flooded the main streets, squares and bridges in nationwide protest over the death of George Floyd, leading some to question whether a second wave of Covid-19 is imminent.

Chicago, Washington, DC and New York all saw large groups gather to march and demonstrate, all of which have been peaceful as of Saturday afternoon.

New Yorkers marched for hours, eventually making their way to the Brooklyn Bridge, and held signs saying things like “no justice, no peace” and “defund the police,” a slogan that has become popular in recent days thanks to a petition signed by various celebrities and activists calling for police budgets to be slashed across the nation.

In DC, marchers gathered at the Lincoln Memorial and proceeded to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, heading straight for the White House, but could not get further than a fresh fence around Lafayette Square.

Demonstrators gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, for a protest over the death of George Floyd. Alex Brandon / AP Photo pic.twitter.com/FLwVg68pdO

In San Francisco, protesters moved their act to the Golden Gate Bridge even blocking lanes of traffic, which police appeared unable to control.

Video of protesters in Philadelphia were especially staggering, with aerial footage showing an enormous crowd near the city’s Museum of Art.

Scene at the art museum today in Philadelphia, that marks the eighth day of protests in the city over police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. More than 14,000 RSVP-ed on Facebook saying they would attend. #phillyprotestspic.twitter.com/NuDODRIJYC

Crowds danced and chanted “black lives matter,” and a wedding was even held at one point, with the couple reportedly joining the demonstration after the ceremony.

Although some people wore masks and gloves, the amount of demonstrators was so massive that some questioned whether the lack of social distancing would lead to a second wave of coronavirus, something Dr. Anthony Fauci said was entirely possible in a Saturday interview.

“This protest crowd in Philly is unbelievable … unfortunately, now there’s no way a 2nd peak of COVID-19 doesn’t hit us,” one Twitter user wrote along with footage of the massive group of protesters.

This protest crowd in Philly is unbelievable … unfortunately, now there’s no way a 2nd peak of COVID-19 doesn’t hit us pic.twitter.com/uDx1b3Om9n

Cruz’s pronouncement comes as President Donald Trump is in a fight with Twitter. During an interview later in the day with Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Company,” Cruz accused Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey of silencing “genuine political speech by Americans while facilitating terroristic threats by Iran.”

“Over a month ago, I sent a letter to Twitter, along with several other senators asking them to explain why they continue to provide a platform for the Ayatollah Khomeini,” Cruz outlined.” The United States Congress has passed a law making it a criminal offense to facilitate the oppression of the Iranian regime, the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Twitter sent back a letter that essentially said their company policy was to allow as much discussion as possible, and they apparently believe they are exempt from the criminal laws of this country. And so today, I asked the Department of Justice to open an investigation. Those sanction laws are designed to stop U.S. companies from facilitating Iranian terror. And Stu, the irony of this is that at the same time Twitter, that Jack Dorsey is publishing worldwide the anti-semitic threats of violence from the Ayatollah Khomeini, Jack Dorsey is also trying to censor the President of the United States. He’s trying to silence genuine political speech by Americans while facilitating terroristic threats by Iran.”

Cruz also commented on Twitter censoring Trump’s tweets, urging “Big Tech” to “get the hell out of the censorship business” in America.

“Twitter has no business deciding which politicians they like and which ones they don’t,” he added. “They should be a neutral public forum and let free speech and let the American people decide.”

]]>https://1buv.com/twitter-silencing-genuine-political-speech-by-americans-while-facilitating-terroristic-threats-by-iran-naturalnews-com/feed/0More Than 10,000 People Reportedly Arrested At US Protestshttps://1buv.com/more-than-10000-people-reportedly-arrested-at-us-protests/
https://1buv.com/more-than-10000-people-reportedly-arrested-at-us-protests/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 23:00:18 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298120Above photo: New Orleans. June 3, 2020. Chris Granger/The Advocate via AP. More than 10,000 people have been arrested in protests decrying racism and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death, according to an Associated Press tally of known arrests across the U.S. The count has grown by the hundreds each day as […]

More than 10,000 people have been arrested in protests decrying racism and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death, according to an Associated Press tally of known arrests across the U.S.

The count has grown by the hundreds each day as protesters spilled into the streets and encountered a heavy police presence and curfews that give law enforcement stepped-up arrest powers.

Los Angeles has had more than a quarter of the national arrests, followed by New York, Dallas and Philadelphia. Many of the arrests have been for low-level offenses such as curfew violations and failure to disperse. Hundreds were arrested on burglary and looting charges.

As cities were engulfed in unrest last week, politicians claimed that the majority of the protesters were outside agitators, including a contention by Minnesota’s governor that 80 percent of the participants in the demonstrations were from out of state.

The arrests in Minneapolis during a frenzied weekend tell a different story. In a nearly 24-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, 41 of the 52 people cited with protest-related arrests had Minnesota driver’s licenses, according to the Hennepin County sheriff.

In the nation’s capital, 86 percent of the more than 400 people arrested as of Wednesday afternoon were from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

It is not known how many of the people arrested were locked up — an issue at a time when many of the nation’s jails are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks. The protesters are often placed in zip-ties and hauled away from the scene in buses.

In Los Angeles, an online fundraising campaign has gathered $2 million so far to help more than 3,000 people arrested in demonstrations since Floyd died on May 25 in Minneapolis.

Kath Rogers, executive director of the Los Angeles office of the National Lawyers Guild, said she was surprised by the huge number of arrests in that city. The office is calling on those arrested to be in contact so they can be part of the group’s mass defense. So far, they have heard from about 400 people, she said.

She said some people had been swept up in the arrests because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, like a woman who was simply going for an evening walk and wasn’t part of the protest. Or a young man who was taking pictures of the looting with his phone and then was arrested for looting.

“I’ve been here for two years and we go to hundreds of demonstrations, but I’ve never seen rubber bullets flying like this, tear gas used this way,” she said.

Los Angeles Chief Michel Moore told the city’s Police Commission Tuesday the bulk of the arrests, about 2,500, were for failure to disperse or curfew violations.

The rest were for crimes including burglary, looting, assaults on police officers and other violence, Moore told the panel, which functions as the police department’s civilian oversight board.

The only other U.S. city with an arrest toll that comes close to Los Angeles’ is New York, with about 2,000, according to AP’s tally.

A Los Angeles group called the Peoples City Council Fund as of Wednesday night had gathered more than $2 million for arrested protesters there through the online fundraising platform gofundme. More than 46,000 people donated mostly small amounts, some just $10 or $20.

Fundraiser organizers said hundreds of thousands of the dollars raised will go to Black Lives Matter LA as well as the National Lawyers Guild, a progressive group that has been defending civil rights activists since the 1930s.

The AP tally didn’t take into account any additional arrests still unreported from Wednesday evening.

]]>https://1buv.com/police-in-california-respond-to-multiple-critical-incidents-in-santa-cruz-county/feed/0Trump Donor Sued the VA, Now He’s Getting Its COVID-19 Contractshttps://1buv.com/trump-donor-sued-the-va-now-hes-getting-its-covid-19-contracts/
https://1buv.com/trump-donor-sued-the-va-now-hes-getting-its-covid-19-contracts/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 22:49:31 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298114A Trump donor who grabbed up $13.4 million in COVID-19-linked contracts from the Department of Veterans Affairs has a fraught history with the agency—and a newfound affection for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans. Since late March, the VA has inked 21 deals with Tennessee entrepreneur Troy Mizell’s AVMedical to supply everything from masks […]

A Trump donor who grabbed up $13.4 million in COVID-19-linked contracts from the Department of Veterans Affairs has a fraught history with the agency—and a newfound affection for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans.

Since late March, the VA has inked 21 deals with Tennessee entrepreneur Troy Mizell’s AVMedical to supply everything from masks to thermometers to blood gas analyzers, according to records gathered by ProPublica. Of those 21, federal records show the department bid only four through a competitive process.

In fact, the contracts came in spite of the two-year-old firm having never done business with the federal government before and even though Mizell’s former company, AvKare, waged a two-year legal battle against the VA after an internal investigation at the agency determined it had provided false information about its business operations.

Mizell did not respond to a request for comment.

His LinkedIn indicates he moved full-time to AVMedical shortly after Amneal Pharmaceuticals bought a majority stake in AvKare in December 2019. And campaign finance records show that in 2019, he began to take an interest in politics in a big way. Over the course of that year he gave thousands to Republican senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Mitch McConnell (KY), Joni Ernst (IA) and Thom Tillis (NC). President Trump’s re-election campaign benefited even more. Mizell gave the legal limit to his campaign fund and $25,000 to Trump Victory, his joint fundraising committee.

Mizell’s generosity continued into 2020. One month before he received the federal contracts, he donated another $50,000 to Trump Victory as well as $35,000 to the Republican National Committee.

In the decade prior to 2019, his only political contribution had been a $1,000 donation to a 2014 candidate for state legislature.

Mizell’s experience as a federal contractor, however, goes back a decade and the record is mixed. According to his LinkedIn page, from 2007 until January of this year, Mizell served as president and CEO of AvKare, a marketer of generic drugs—including opioids—that he co-founded. The firm began doing hundreds of thousands of dollars of business with the VA and other federal agencies within months of its founding.

One of these contracts was a five-year arrangement signed in 2010 to fill orders for generic pharmaceuticals to veterans’ hospitals. But according to court documents, in 2014 the VA inspector general initiated a probe which concluded that AvKare had “misrepresented that they are a pharmaceutical manufacturer” and “misrepresented that they had commercial sales” in order to secure the contract. The investigation determined that AvKare, in fact, was a “dealer/reseller” that repackaged and distributed other companies’ drugs, and that its only significant customers were the federal government and wholesalers also doing business with Uncle Sam.

When the VA declined to renew its deal with AvKare in 2015, the company took the federal government to court—claiming that, because its packaging included crucial labeling and National Drug Code information, it was a manufacturer. It further asserted that its transactions with wholesalers parlaying its products to the federal government should count as commercial sales.

A federal judge slapped these arguments down in 2016, and an appeal failed the following year. Nevertheless, since the final failure of AvKare’s lawsuit, the company has received a total 146 contracts from Veterans Affairs for everything from medication to surgical equipment to blanket warmers. The VA has justified the contracts on grounds that the COVID crisis required them to enlist a wide range of protective equipment suppliers.

AvKare was also entangled in an alleged book-cooking scheme by one of its suppliers, Georgia-based MiMedx, which had an arrangement to sell drugs directly to the VA through one of AvKare’s contracts. According to authorities, the company inflated sales by delivering drugs neither AvKare nor the federal government had ordered. This resulted in a pair of Department of Justice indictments against MiMedx’s top executives last November, and a $1.5 million Security and Exchange Commission penalty. MiMedx has never admitted to any wrongdoing, and AvKare was not accused in either case.

AvMedical wasn’t the only firm headed by a big GOP donor to score a first-time federal contract amid the COVID-19 crisis. Gastonia, North Carolina-based Parkdale Advanced Materials, got a whopping $543 million in orders for personal protective equipment, as first reported in Courthouse News. Parkdale CEO Andy Warlick has given $59,400 just this year to the National Republican Campaign Committee—and another $75,600 to committees affiliated with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC). He also kicked $10,000 to the accounts of Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), and $2,800 each to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). Warlick also gave $5,000 to the political action committee of Rep. Amerish Bera (D-CA).

Another Gastonia firm, Beverly Knits, snagged a $43 million contract to manufacture hospital garb earlier this month. Company founder Robert Sytz has given $8,575 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee since 2018.

The VA maintained that all its vendors go through a standard vetting procedure, and asserted that the pandemic had obliged the agency to do business with many new parties.

“During this time of unprecedented global demand for PPE, VA must cast a wide net in order to ensure that we’re meeting our supply needs,” said spokeswoman Christina Noel.

Brendan M. Fischer, director of the Federal Reform Program at the Campaign Legal Center, said it’s not uncommon for federal contractors to have political action committees or individual members who give money to candidates as the law permits. But he said the Trump administration’s frantic efforts to combat COVID have increased the chances for ethical mishaps.

“The risk seems particularly acute here, with a White House that has prioritized fundraising from wealthy donors and also is very involved in the contracting process,” he said.

]]>https://1buv.com/trump-donor-sued-the-va-now-hes-getting-its-covid-19-contracts/feed/0Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice : NPRhttps://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-14/
https://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-14/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 22:45:07 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298107Mal Brewster, a local college student, speaks about her experiences with racism during a vigil in Canton, N.Y., on Saturday. Julia Ritchey/NCPR hide caption toggle caption Julia Ritchey/NCPR Mal Brewster, a local college student, speaks about her experiences with racism during a vigil in Canton, N.Y., on Saturday. Julia Ritchey/NCPR Crowds gathered in the northern […]

Mal Brewster, a local college student, speaks about her experiences with racism during a vigil in Canton, N.Y., on Saturday.

Julia Ritchey/NCPR

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Mal Brewster, a local college student, speaks about her experiences with racism during a vigil in Canton, N.Y., on Saturday.

Julia Ritchey/NCPR

Crowds gathered in the northern New York village of Canton, population 6,400, on Saturday for a vigil honoring black lives lost to police brutality.

The gathering in the village near the Canadian border was one of several taking place this weekend in smaller, more rural towns scattered across New York, reflecting how widespread protests have become outside of major cities. Another march held in Plattsburgh, about 100 miles east of Canton, drew several hundred more, while about 75 others also gathered south of Plattsburgh in the town of Westport.

Organizers of the Canton gathering asked attendees to kneel on the village green as church bells rang for nine minutes, the length of time a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd before he died.

Village of Canton, NY, pop. 6,400, holding a vigil for black lives lost to police brutality. Church bells ringing for nine minutes while people kneel. pic.twitter.com/MzOozI8c0n

“Our discomfort is but a fraction of the pain,” said Teresa Veramendi after the bells had stopped ringing.

Veramendi works as the social justice coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton, which for several days has been ringing its bells to honor George Floyd and other black lives lost to police brutality.

Speakers at Saturday’s vigil also read out the names and manner of deaths of several black people either killed by police or during a racist altercation.

Mal Brewster just finished her freshman year at SUNY Potsdam, a local university, and shared her own experiences as a black student in northern New York.

“I’ve been to a couple of different frat parties, and there’s been a couple of people that — one too many drinks — and they think it’s comfortable to say the N-word,” she said. “Me being outnumbered, if I say something, I’ve been told I’m starting a problem.”

Canton is the county seat of St. Lawrence County, one of the most rural in the state. Its population is also overwhelmingly white at about 94%. Black residents make up just 2.6% of its demographics.

Hands shoot up after a speaker asks if people have ever heard someone say something racist but done nothing about it at a rally in Canton, N.Y. Saturday.

Julia Ritchey/NCPR

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Hands shoot up after a speaker asks if people have ever heard someone say something racist but done nothing about it at a rally in Canton, N.Y. Saturday.

Julia Ritchey/NCPR

New York City and other major metropolitan cities continue to attract thousands of protesters and a large portion of media coverage, but smaller protests are popping up everywhere. BuzzFeed reporter Anne Helen Petersen has been aggregating a thread of these protests, noting they “cut across demographics and geographic spaces.”

Canton is the home of a small private university and although its politics lean Democratic, the county as a whole has been trending more conservative, voting for President Trump in 2016.

Michael Welch, a retired mail carrier, was driving by when he decided to stop and join the vigil. He said he remembers some protests taking place after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., but “not nearly this size.”

“I think people are coming around to the idea that this is not a matter of Republican or Democrat, this is not a matter of liberal vs. conservative, this is a matter that affects everybody,” he said. “Injustice is injustice.”

]]>https://1buv.com/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice-npr-14/feed/0Peaceful NY Protest Leader Threatens to Go Down to the (Jewish) Diamond District Tonight with Gasoline (VIDEO)https://1buv.com/peaceful-ny-protest-leader-threatens-to-go-down-to-the-jewish-diamond-district-tonight-with-gasoline-video/
https://1buv.com/peaceful-ny-protest-leader-threatens-to-go-down-to-the-jewish-diamond-district-tonight-with-gasoline-video/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 22:40:50 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298104These violent leftists don’t even hide their criminal plots from live TV. Advertisement – story continues below A New York self-described protest leader told FOX News today that he is planning on going down to the predominantly Jewish Diamond District tonight with gasoline. The man, who has FTP (F**k the police) tattooed on his arm […]

]]>https://1buv.com/peaceful-ny-protest-leader-threatens-to-go-down-to-the-jewish-diamond-district-tonight-with-gasoline-video/feed/0PA, Hamas in contact to resume reconciliation – Middle East Monitorhttps://1buv.com/pa-hamas-in-contact-to-resume-reconciliation-middle-east-monitor/
https://1buv.com/pa-hamas-in-contact-to-resume-reconciliation-middle-east-monitor/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 22:35:51 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298101Senior political adviser, Nabil Shaath, said the Palestinian Authority is in contact with Hamas in order to resume reconciliation talks and end the internal division. Speaking to Donia Al- Watan, Shaath said he is personally making contact with Hamas as well as holding discussions with the various parties working on the reconciliation file to develop a […]

Senior political adviser, Nabil Shaath, said the Palestinian Authority is in contact with Hamas in order to resume reconciliation talks and end the internal division.

Speaking to Donia Al- Watan, Shaath said he is personally making contact with Hamas as well as holding discussions with the various parties working on the reconciliation file to develop a clear timetable to resume talks.

Shaath said the ban on travel due to the coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected the resumption of talks, but there are suggestions to use virtual conference platforms to overcome these obstacles.

“It is no longer feasible for Gaza to remain separated from the West Bank and Jerusalem. Whoever wants a state and national unity must avoid the past stages. What is required now is a practical and detailed program to build unity,” he said.

Shaath added that the Palestinians need to develop a new economic plan to reduce dependence on the Israeli economy which includes building relations with Arab countries and Europe.

]]>https://1buv.com/pa-hamas-in-contact-to-resume-reconciliation-middle-east-monitor/feed/0Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Supports ‘Defund the Police’ Movementhttps://1buv.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-supports-defund-the-police-movement/
https://1buv.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-supports-defund-the-police-movement/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 22:28:31 +0000https://1buv.com/?p=298099Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) threw her support behind a movement that would defund the New York Police Department in the wake of George Floyd’s death, the goal of which is to combat police brutality. Ocasio-Cortez said in a congressional primary debate Friday night on NY1 that she has “actively engaged in advocacy for” a “reduction […]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) threw her support behind a movement that would defund the New York Police Department in the wake of George Floyd’s death, the goal of which is to combat police brutality.

Ocasio-Cortez said in a congressional primary debate Friday night on NY1 that she has “actively engaged in advocacy for” a “reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $6 billion NYPD budget that costs us books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in NYCHA [New York City Housing Authority] and public housing.”